The Madness of Family
by That70sWriter
Summary: Shane Walsh once upon a time made the mistake of getting a girl pregnant in high school. Now that the apocalypse started he meets the result from his indiscretions; Emma Marie Walsh. By pure chance she runs across Daryl in the woods outside of Atlanta and is taken to the camp, where Rick Grimes has just arrived, creating a chain of evens. Can Emma save her father from madness?
1. Emma Marie Walsh

_-Shane Walsh was always a bit of a player who was afraid of commitment. So when one of his many high school flings caused the girl to end up pregnant, he asked to be let off the hook, and he was. It is sixteen years later, and a plague has swept the world. The deadbeat father never knew what became of his child, nor did he know that she was searching in vain for her father amidst the walking dead. *Television Series universe; just a few minor changes to coincide with the introduction of Shane's daughter. No worries, he'll be the same guy, just with the baggage of a child._

Chapter 1: Emma Walsh

A young woman, the age of fifteen trekked along the outer edge of Atlanta, Georgia. She was completely and utterly alone. The sense of the word alone never meant as much to her as it did in this new world, filled with wound ridden freaks who had a craving for flesh. Her name was Emma Marie Walsh, her last name always having been an enigma to her, seeing as the man whose name she took she had never met in her fifteen years, five months, and seven days. The girl in question only was keeping track of the months since her birthday, so as she would not miss the day of her sweet sixteen in the middle of a battle with the dead. If she could be so lucky as to live to see her next birthday. Or unlucky, however one chooses to look at it.

She was sparsely dressed for such a harsh climate, in not but a thin hunter green tank top (which was covered in thick blood and stains from her salty sweat), a pair of filthy skinny jeans ripped to hell, and a pair of hiking boots that she had from her school camping trip over two years ago. On her back jangled a brown hiking pack that had various odds and ends made for survival in it. Things such as knives hung on the sides, ready for quick usage, a dented frying pan also hung from her back, inside the bag you would find matches, a large water canteen, various dried fruits, and a couple changes of clothing. As she walked, her black military grade machete tapped her leg in a comforting rhythm that she had grown accustomed to in the past few weeks. The machete was something she had looted in the initial days of the outbreak.

Emma could recall every moment with blinding clarity, the screams, the gunshots, the fear. But that was all passed by now, all she had left was a machete and a goal. The machete was needed for the obvious reasons of killing the limpers, as she called them, but the goal was needed for the less obvious reason of keeping herself sane as she travelled Georgia. She wanted to find her father, all she knew was his name and occupation. Other than that, she was going blindly into the terrifying wilderness of the new world to find him. The only thing she had to go off of was a torn picture cut from a newspaper when she ran across an article on him. She never told her mother about it. But now she was glad she had it.

Thinking of her mother made her slightly saddened, but she wouldn't dwell on it. It wouldn't be wise to, otherwise she would be distracted by the annoying and frankly uninviting tears that would barrel down her cheeks. Then, she wouldn't be prepared for an attack if it came. In the recent weeks, Emma had been attacked multiple times, all of them ending closely to her death, but it wasn't quite that bad. Each time she was attacked, she felt a little braver, a little more learned in this human eat human world. A smile ghosted over her lips, at the rate she had been going, she should be the bravest girl in the world by next Monday.

In these past few days, she hadn't seen another living soul besides the limpers, she wondered vaguely if she was the only one left. She doubted it, but she still had her suspicions. A yawn escaped her and she cursed silently, she desperately needed sleep, but it had eluded her since the small group she was with was attacked, the rest of them being killed. She never seemed to find a place that was safe enough to sleep in, every time her eyes closed, it seemed that a limper would appear from nowhere. It frustrated her to no end, at this rate though, with little sleep, little food, and plenty of physical exertion, she would be to her goal weight that she had so desperately wanted barely over two months ago. Now she wished she had a little extra fat to spare.

She paused for a moment and surveyed her surroundings, she was nearing the hilly areas on the outer edge of Georgia, no doubt a camp was somewhere in these woods. Emma thought for a moment, and pulled out the map which she kept folded in her pocket. Her finger traced along the path she had set for herself and she discovered she was very near a reservoir, which could be a form of salvation from this hell. Perhaps she could fish, get a little water, maybe even take a bath? Emma let out a little giggle at the idea of a bath, it was a giddy prospect actually.

A strange sound brought her face from behind the map. It was the loud sound of a car horn echoing through the hills. It seemed to be moving, and a smile formed on Emma's face. People. She refolded the map and stuck it in her pocket quickly, she took a glance around the area and of course was met by the sight of several limpers now coming from their hidey holes to investigate the source of racket. Letting her pack slide off of her back, she straightened herself into a fighting stance, a loud gulp emanated from her throat as she raised the machete. There were five of them, two men, two women, and a child. Probably were camping when it happened.

The man was the first to reach her, her machete quickly hit the side of it's head with a loud thunk, raising her foot, she kicked him from off her blade. Emma quickly turned, getting one of the woman in the head, the woman fell immediately, and the fact that she was overweight took her machete from her hands, stuck in the head. She cussed loudly, and scrambled over to her pack, where she pulled a knife from its string to kill the second man with. Concentrating on her mark, the easiest place to stab, his eye, she ran at him, knife aloft. It went into his eye without much force, but the fact that she had to get so close to him allowed his hands to grip her shoulders in a way that she knew would leave bruises.

She still had a woman and child to deal with, so without much tact, she smashed the frying pan into the face of the woman, which knocked her down, and then she turned to the child. A slight ache went through her body as she stared at the little girl. Fragile and thin, with matted red hair and freckled face covered in someone elses blood, she was still an angel. Emma shook her head and slammed the girl's face in with the frying pan, effectively killing her. One last stomp with the heel of her boot to the mother's face ended the fight.

She went through and collected her weapons, wiping the blood off on her pants. Emma had noticed that it helped a little with keeping the limpers from noticing her scent, she didn't really get why, but it worked well enough that she kept doing it. She heard the sound of something; or someone breathing heavily in the brush a slight distance away. Emma looked up, alarmed, and saw with amazement that it was indeed a person, and not another limper. If it had been a deer, it wouldn't have been that bad, maybe she could kill- just kidding, she had no way to kill a deer unless she planned to slit its throat.

Emma took a moment to observe the man before he noticed her. He had a crossbow on his back, a scraggly face with unkempt brown hair, he looked tough as nails in her opinion. Sweat poured down his face as he dragged something behind him, a deer possibly? Maybe someone injured? He looked up for a moment and his hand immediately reached for his crossbow.

"Wait!" she called out. He gave her a look of incredulity. She felt herself bite her lip, a habit that had always driven her mother mad. The man observed her for a few moments before taking his hand off the crossbow.

"Been bit?" he asked in a thick accent that made her feel as if she was talking to a redneck. She never really had a southern accent, despite being raised in northern Kentucky. All she knew is that her father most likely had came to Atlanta, her hopes had been crushed when she saw that the city had been heavily overtaken. She came to the conclusion that this man was in fact not her father, nor did she have any likely relations to the man.

"No, I'm healthy as a... what's healthy these days?" she asked in an attempt to dissolve the tension in the situation. It worked, because he gave a rough chuckle.

"Nothin' really," he said in a slightly soft spoken manner that conveyed genuine sadness at the situation of the world.

"Where are you going?" Emma asked, it looked as if he had a destination, and she wanted to go too, lest she be left alone again at the mercy of the limpers.

"I've got a camp 'bout a few miles southeast of here, not sure if they'd wanna take yah in though, they got kids there," he explained, his voice hardening once more. She nodded, licking her lips as she did so.

"Well then, if you need it, I'll help you with the deer," she said in a manner that made her seem nicer than she truly knew she was.

His shoulders dropped down in an unsure shrug, and she rolled her eyes in annoyance. "You don't need to be all manly about it, I want to help, you're sweating like a hog." Emma knew she wouldn't be much help, she never was one to handle heavy loads very easily. He shot a glare at her, but nodded in assent. She came to help him with the load. Now they each had one leg. She noticed his eyes swept over the area of carnage she had created a mere ten minutes prior to their meeting.

"You do this all yourself lil' girl?" he asked in that condescending drawl she often heard in the voices of movie villains. She jutted her chin up and nodded. He chuckled and shook his head, "Guess I shouldn't be too surprised, Andrea an' her sister Amy are useful as hell around camp- I never caught your name, don't reckon you like being called lil' girl." Her brow rose and her lips untightened.

"My name is Emma thank you very much, and you, Mister Deer Killer?" she asked, trying to make her voice as equally condescending. A smile flickered over his lips.

"The name is Daryl, but deer killer will work fine if you want," he explained as his eyes quickly went over her, she could tell he was trying to determine her age.

"I'm fifteen by the way, and I'm just going to guess you're probably around forty, amIright?" he gave her a gruff reply which she took as a yes. Their walk went fairly quickly, she guessed, she had no real clue of miles how far away his camp would be, or how far she walked that day.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, the deer carcass dragged over the dead leaves loudly, creating a feeling of unrest in the duo. Emma found herself entranced by the delicate grace of nature, now she could allow herself to relax, she had someone else looking out for her. Well, himself, but seeing as she was right next to him, protecting her was a given. Her tongue darted out over her lips, wetting them, she desperately needed chapstick. They began going downwards, and she felt anticipation building in her chest. A camp that had girls, that meant someone to talk to.

"'lmost there," he whispered as they slope began to soften and was no longer a hill jutting straight downwards.

"Good, I'm exhausted," she said with an exaggerated yawn. He shot her a look of annoyance, tinged with amusement, just under the surface of his eyes.

"You didn't hunt this damned thing all over the hills then drag it four miles withou' assistance, quitchyour grumblin," he muttered in reply. Emma glanced at him, and did notice that he had bags under his eyes to challenge her own, she guessed they had all seen sleepless nights these past few weeks.

A camp came into view, she noted that it had tin cans strung up on fishing string all around the trees of the area. How ingenious, she thought. A few tents sat here and there, she could smell the smoky smell of firewood. Emma closed her eyes and breathed in the scent, Daryl dropped his side of the deer to the ground, causing Emma to lurch forward at the new weight distribution. Daryl snorted at her and a grin went over his face for a second. She pulled herself off the ground.

"What do I do now?" she asked, confused to be in the presence of humans again. She heard a close screech of, 'Dad!' And smiled that families still existed in this crazy world.

"Just go over and introduce yourself; I'd add yer' last name, for some reason they all just wanna doubt each other and not trust anyone but their own kin." He scoffed and muttered something, then he looked back at Emma, "Well go on then, I hafta do some things!" he shooed her away and she began walking towards the camp. While never particularly clumsy, in her nervousness, she stumbled and tripped over one of the wires with cans covering it. They made a loud clanging noise that made her cringe. Soon, footsteps overtook her vicinity.

A man who looked Mexican reached her first, holding an axe, behind him was a blonde woman with a strong jawline, behind her was a girl wearing surprisingly clean white pants considering the apocalypse, and behind her was a guy who was obviously Asian. They all had weapons ready, when the first man saw her clear and undiseased face, he let out out a breath of relief.

"It's all good people; just a survivor! She's just a human!" he proclaimed, a little too loudly for Emma, who had gotten used to the silence of travelling alone. All the people behind him looked visibly relieved, but she was quickly grabbed by the strong jawed blondie, who dragged her to the campfire, demanding answers immediately.

"How did you find us- Have you been bit, why are you here? Where are you from? How old are you? What's your name?" the questions flung at Emma too quickly for her to focus. She felt slightly uncomfortable as an elderly man with a hat stared at her, keen eyes seeing something beyond her surface. She wasn't sure what he saw. Finally, after getting a moment to breath, she answered all the questions at once, starting with the fact that she hadn't been bit.

"No, I haven't been bit. Just to get that off my chest," she started, a woman with short gray hair who had been holding her daughter back untensed and let the daughter analyze Emma. "Anyways, my name is Emma Walsh; I'm fifteen years old, and I met someone from your camp, calls himself Daryl?" she explained finally, she noted that some of them started a bit when she said her last name, she wondered why. "I helped him drag a deer back to camp?"

The elderly man, who introduced himself as Dale, called out, "Shane!" Emma felt her blood freeze. A man who was surly, and obviously angry at the time, came from behind the camper. He perfectly matched her father from the newspaper clipping.

"What?" he demanded angrily, his voice harsh. His eyes swept over the new arrival. She held her breath, hoping he wouldn't see his features in her.

But only a fool would miss their likeness. She had his nose, to her dismay, and her eyes while large and inquisitive, had the color and suspicious quality that always seemed to be watching that were in his. Her lips were like his too, but more pink and feminine, and the texture of her hair was his unruly curls that reached her shoulders, the color was even the same. The biggest difference between the two truly was her pale complexion, and smattering of almost imperceptible freckles over her cheeks. Other than that, she had her mother's build, which was athletic, but with wide and womanly hips. Shane stammered, staring at her for a moment.

"Who is this girl?" he demanded in that authoritative tone only used by police officers and fathers. Emma smiled a bit, to her, he was both. Dale was looking between the two of them suspiciously, and the woman, Andrea, Emma learned, was staring at her sister, the two having a silent conversation with their eyes. Emma decided that she had been silent long enough.

"My name is Emma Walsh; I'm from Northern Kentucky..." she replied. He scratched his head, as if trying to figure out a mystery. The Asian, whom she learned at that moment was a little dense in analyzing people, spouted out the most idiotic thing to say.

"Shane, you could be like, her dad!" he exclaimed with wonder evident in his voice. Shane's jaw tensed at the same time that Emma's did, only furthering their likeness to one another.

"Who the hell are you?" Shane demanded of her, she was taken aback by his attitude, and she noticed that the others were stepping forward, as if ready to prevent a fight from breaking out.

"This may sound a little weird..." Emma started awkwardly, "But you knocked up Karen Smith in high school, and she's kind of my mom, so you're kind of my dad." A silence stretched out among the campers... "Sorry."

Before another explosion of questions erupted, she noticed a thin woman with a gaunt face watching them from another tent, morely watching Shane.


	2. Awkward Loves Company

_(A/U: I used some direct dialogue from the show. Hope you guys like it.) _

**Chapter 2: Awkward Loves Company**

Shane couldn't quite comprehend what was happening. The whole camp was in shock. He had never really thought that he would ever even meet his kid; let alone have her show up in the middle of all this shit. He stared at her; and even he couldn't deny it. She was his spitting image, with the curls, the eyes, and even his dreaded nose. She stared at him in a glare, and he glared back. This was going to fuck everything he had worked for with Laurie up... no more so than Rick's god damned return had done. She had a nervous air about her, and the face of someone who had seen sadness and sorrow before this all even happened

"So you left him there!?" demanded the only voice that Emma recognized and actually was comforted by. She looked up, and saw a few yards away, that Daryl was demanding answers from a man in a sheriff's uniform. She scoffed a little too loudly... and the sheriff looked at her, then at Shane, and then once more at her. Her hand raised in a little wave that seemed to amuse some of the others. She had no idea as to why that would be. But Daryl looked livid, and she couldn't help but get up and investigate why. Her father beat her to it and tackled Daryl to keep him from punching the officer.

"Wait, what's going on?" she asked as she approached the group of angry men. They all snapped towards her.

"This ain't no place for a girl," said the sheriff, nodding her away. Her face scrunched in father was glaring at the man now, instead of her, that was a good change of scenery. A black man looked up from the ground, seeming unhappy with himself. Seeing as all these men were ignoring her, she tried her luck with Daryl, who had been the nicest to her so far.

"What happened Daryl?" Emma asked, her voice hitching, what would make the tough man so distressed? He was angry, but the anger was hiding something akin to sorrow. None of the others seemed to care, Emma tensed her jaw, getting easily annoyed was one of her biggest problems with being around too many people.

"They locked my brother on a goddamned roof in the middle of that shit infested city!" he yelled with fury. She was taken aback and looked around for answers. Nobody seemed to even have the balls to tell a fifteen year old girl why they had locked a man on the roof. Was it a disagreement? Did the man kill someone? She saw no reason to do anything like that unless someone killed someone in cold blood, and even then... in this world all blood is cold. They calmed the man down, trying to assuage him.

"We'll go back for him tomorrow," said the sheriff, whose name tag that he still had read 'Officer Grimes.' Daryl nodded gruffly and pulled himself from their grip. "Until then, where is that deer you say you dragged in?" Emma tilted her head when she noticed that Shane was glaring at Grimes again, as if he wished him to be dead, how did the division of power work in this camp? And was she really sure she wanted to stay if it wasn't the way she wanted? She hated not getting her way.

The white pants girl approached her, "Would you like some food, you seem a little thin," she had a kind but young and innocent voice about her, one that seemed tremulous and ready to cry. Emma shook her head and slid her pack off, the old man was still staring at her. Unzipping the pack, she pulled out dried fruit, nuts, and jerky, stuff that was supposed to last her another week but she guessed she could eat here because of the way she was being stared at. She sat down, her back to the fire. If a limper attacked, the fire would keep it from getting her from behind, so she had to watch the sides.

Great, now everyone was looking weirdly at her again. "Why do you sit with your back to the fire?" asked the little girl from earlier shyly. She was even thinner than her, it was obvious the girl needed food, not Emma. But no way in hell was Emma giving up the food she had gotten so dangerously by sneaking into a freakin' Wal Mart. She tried to think of an answer that wouldn't scare the girl or make her sound paranoid. She gave up as Shane came to sit down and eat lunch angrily. Was he always angry?

"Well I do it so I can't be sneaked up on," she explained with a sigh. Her father gave her a hard look. Emma avoided his gaze and munched on a piece of dried pear. The little girl... Sophia she thought, nodded in understanding before scurrying back to her mother. Shane gave her a look again.

"What are yah' doing scarin' that little girl?" He demanded as he took a swig from his canteen. He then paused awkwardly. His flinty eyes shot around the area, looking for the an escape; Emma was sure he realised his mistake of talking to his daughter directly. He probably didn't want to talk to her really; just liked being in control over everyone and everything. Maybe that's why he resented the Grimes guy. She was good at reading people; she had never been particularly book smart with math or history, but she read people like a first graders literature book. She realised she had been asked a question, and it would be a good idea to answer it.

"I wasn't aiming to scare her, I wasn't gonna lie to her about something as simple as my habits. I'm no liar," Emma snapped at him. She didn't mean to snap at him, and she was lying when she said she wasn't a liar, she was actually a fantastic liar. She could spin tales miles long, and never forget one detail if asked about it later. It was with that gift that she wheedled herself out of taking tests, running the mile, and going to certain classes. If limpers understood them, she'd probably wheedle her way away from him too.

He put up his hands in acknowledged defeat, and turned away from her to resume eating lunch. She was glad to be left alone for the time being, she never quite liked talking to strangers anyways. She finished off her dry fruit quickly, and packed away the rest of the food, she wanted nothing more than to set up the dinky one person tent that resided at the bottom of her backpack. Then they would leave her alone, maybe she could peruse that survival book she had swiped from an old book store in Macon. This goal that she had so easily accomplished left her feeling empty inside. Now what? Try to survive? Boring.

Emma stood up and noticed that the woman from earlier, with dark hair, was staring at her pants in blatant distaste. She looked down and realised that not only were they ripped, but they were also no longer black, but red and brown goop was all over them. The woman walked towards her with a bit of a swagger, something about it made Emma feel like she was being harshly judged. "You need me to wash your pants hun?" she asked in a voice that was half kind, half condescending. "My name is Laurie by the way," she added after an afterthought. Emma nodded and looked around awkwardly.

"Do you have anywhere I can- erm, change?" Emma asked, suddenly feeling shy. Dale jumped up and rushed over to her, pushing his hat out of his face.

"You can change in my RV right over there, you can even shower if it fits your liking," he said softly. He had a kind look about him that made Emma immediately forget the way he stared at her earlier. She nodded happily, and bounded off towards the RV, passing Shane who glared at her once again.

"Thank you!" she called out jovially. Dale smiled and waved, once Emma was in the shower, and you could hear the faint hum of running water, he turned to Shane forcefully, as did everyone else.

"So you have a daughter then, do you?" he asked, his voice demanding and suddenly not so kind anymore. Shane glared at the old man, he never really liked Dale and his snooping ways.

"I guess so, I ain't got no twin brother, and not to mention I remember beggin' her ma to be let off the hook instead of raising the kid," he said with a clipped tone. The others looked at him, as if wondering what he was going to do about the whole situation. "Well; I guess I'm gonna try to take care of her. It's the least I can do, considerin' the fact that I never helped her in her first fifteen years," once again everyone seemed hesitant about his answer. "Look, I'm gonna try my best to help her out, she's a good girl it seems, and if Daryl approves of her, that must mean she's okay. It's not like she plans on robbing us in our sleep!"

"Shane," Rick started, and Shane immediately felt anger coursing through his veins again. Rick, that dumb ass, coming back around and ruining all the good things he had built in the camp. Yet he still felt kinship with his old best friend. "We don't know her, and we can't start trusting her without any knowledge of her character," he was using that preachy voice of his. Laurie was sifting through Emma's pack, and just seeing that incensed Shane a little more.

"What are you going through her pack for?" he demanded, his glare turning from Rick to Laurie. He loved her, he knew half as much, he'd never been in love before, Shane knew he loved Laurie. But he never saw her going through any other of the new arrival's packs. "Don't you have to go wash her clothes for her or something?" he added, before it seemed like he was angry at her. He never wanted her to think ill of him, but she probably already did because he thought Rick had been dead, and she's gonna say he took advantage of her vulnerable state. Dammit.

But soon he too was intrigued with the things pulled out of her pack. He and the other men had the good grace to look away when her underclothes were pulled out of the back pocket, she had a food supply that could last about two weeks if rationed correctly, and if for one person, a map with a course for the coast drawn on it, and other various things. He frowned a little at the frying pan covered in blood, and was bewildered at the fact that she had a recording device. "Do you think anything is on it?" asked Laurie as she held the device delicately. Rick shrugged and reached for the play button.

Over the next few minutes, they heard different voices introducing themselves, stating their age, their old occupation, and various facts about themselves. At the end, they heard Emma's voice saying, "Hello, my name is Emma Walsh, I'm fifteen years old, and I used to babysit. Once upon a time, there was a world that I wanted to escape, and I prayed every night for some way out; away from my family, and now I've got it..." a rough chuckle, "and once again I want out. Beggars can't be choosers." With that, the recordings were all gone through, about fifteen of them. Daryl stood in the background with his eyebrows raised, a cigarette at his lips.

The door to the RV began opening and Laurie quickly ran off with the clothes that needed cleaning, and the pack was zipped back up. If Emma had seen it, she would have thought it was humorous that the adults were acting like naughty children. She was wearing a towel that was far too small and her face was as red as the blood that soaked her shirt and other clothing. "I forgot to get a change of clothing," she muttered almost imperceptibly. Andrea's eyes widened and she immediately got up and handed the backpack to Emma, whose blush deepened with mortification as she skulked back into the camper. The door slammed and a from inside the camper, you could hear her speaking aloud to herself. "I'm a fuckin' idiot. That's just fran-frikkin-tastic!" A ripple of light laughter came from the others.

Shaking his head, Shane had to bite back his own laughter. Of course this kind of girl was his kid, the easily embarrassed and obviously socially awkward, it always was that way, wasn't it? Kids seemed to either be the spitting image, or the exact opposite of their parents. She was the exact opposite of both her mom and dad. "Well, I think that just proves she ain't no threat," he announced to everyone around them. They all shrugged and generally agreed that it was obvious the fifteen year old wouldn't cause them any harm.

Inside the RV, Emma was still trying to recollect herself. She had made herself into a fool on her first day in camp, the first day she met her father. Of course that had to happen, she sighed and popped open her bag, taking into account the fact that her stuff was so obviously moved around. Shaking her head, she felt slight anger course through her when she thought of other people pawing her stuff. Although it was probably the girl Amy, who seemed to do nothing more than help out. She couldn't begrudge her that. Finally deciding on clothing, Emma picked out her ironic shirt that actually held a lot of truth in the saying on it.

It was a black v-neck cotton t-shirt that said in bold white letters, "If a zombie chases us, I'm tripping you." It was something she had gotten after her brief obsession with zombie literature. Although nothing she had read about had prepared her for this. Then, another pair of skinny jeans came on, and lastly her boots were put back on. She pulled her hair into a tight french braid in attempts to tame the curls and keep them out of her eyes. She swept some deodorant on and walked out of the RV. Shane nodded at her and she nodded in return. With her hair pulled back, their likeness was even more glaring.

Soon night had fallen and they were all gathered around small discreet fires. She kept her back to it, like always, but was able to listen to the conversation anyways. Rick's little tale was riveting, but she liked hers better, dealers choice, she guessed. Daryl wasn't there, which she felt disappointed about; the redneck was the only one who hadn't poked or prodded her about her past. Not to mention she felt safe with his keen eye and crossbow around. Another log was added to the neighboring fire, and Shane began speaking.

A small satirical smile came over that man Ed's face as he refused to take the log off of the fire. Shane dealt with it, and Emma felt a little pride at having him as her father. She was sure he would act as if it didn't happen, and she would do the same, long as he was kept around. Soon the night drew to a close, and she chose to set her tent up right next to the camper wheel, so it had protection on one side, not to mention that the only real place you could get into the area was laced with those tin cans strung up. She felt safe as she fell asleep with a content smile on her face.

The next morning dawned bright and clear. Emma awoke around what she guessed to be eight o'clock. Half the camp was awake, and the other half still in dreamland. She gladly helped out the woman now known as Jacqui with preparing a light breakfast of oats. The camp seemed peaceful, almost like normal friends going on a normal camping trip together. But of course it wasn't. It never would be. But soon, the peace was shattered when the men began preparing to go fetch Daryl's brother.

Being ever-nosy, Emma discreetly cleaned up the area near where they were getting ready. The first man she heard was Shane. "Well look, I-Idon't, okay Rick, so could you just-could you throw me a bone here, man? Could you just tell me why... why would you risk your life for a douchebag like Merle Dixon?"

Daryl made a noise of indignation and tersely said, "Hey, choose yer' words more carefully." A smirk formed on Emma's face, she'd have to meet this guy to know if what everyone said was true. Another person to study? She was always up for that.

"Oh no I did. Douchebag is what I meant," Shane said with a tinge of bitterness to his voice. Then he guffawed, "Merle Dixon. Guy wouldn't give you a glass of water if you were dying of thirst."

Then Grimes said something all preachy and good guy sounding, so Emma quit listening, she already had his character mapped out. Guy who was willing to do anything to come off as the good guy, who wanted nothing more than everyone to be proud of him. Just as they were about to leave, Emma found herself going up to Daryl. "Uh, I just wanted to say thank you for taking me to the camp, I would have never found it without your help."

He scratched his head and chuckled darkly, "You an' all the others think we're gonna die, is this your version of a goodbye?" he asked.

"Nah, it's my version of a thank you," she said with emphasis on the 'thank you.' He nodded his head and gave a curt wave before getting into the truck. The men drove off, Shane muttering something about Rick, before he went to go talk with Laurie and her little son Carl who was wearing Grimes' hat. Laurie was insisting on a haircut for the boy. Next thing she knew, Emma was being dragged to the reservoir with the other women to was the clothes.

The first few minutes were spent in total silence as the women washed and rung out and dried. Emma felt immediately bored. She was used to only washing her own eight pieces of clothing. But soon enough, the women began talking about what they missed most in their old life. She heard about washing machines, coffee makers, and vibrators. Emma even cracked a small smile as her face lit up red at the idea of that stuff. Carol added, "Me too," and caused the whole entire group of women to crack up with laughter. Emma joined in on that one, from what she saw of the woman's husband, it was easy to see why it was so humorous. Their laughter was cut short though.

Ed Peleteir was a fat man with an ugly face and an unfriendly disposition. He strutted over to them and said some frankly sexist things about women keeping useful and doing their chores. Emma flared before Jacqui or even the noticeably angered Andrea could get a word in edgewise. "Excuse me, but seeing as you aren't doing anything, maybe you should pull your head out of your ass and learn a little respect!" The man paused for a moment before getting a little too close to Emma for comfort and replying.

"I don't have to listen to no stupid lil' girl, whose daddy didn't even care about her 'nough to stay with her whore of a momma!" She didn't see it, but her fathe- Shane was quickly trying to get down the hill towards them to defuse the situation. Emma let out an indignant gasp before Carol tried to step in between them. The slap of his hand connecting with Carol's face brought back memories of her best friend whom had an abusive drunk of a father. She had seen her be hit by him once, and then she called social services. Before she even knew what she was doing, her hand connected with the side of Ed's face in reply. Stopping him cold. He turned to her and she froze. Only one thought was going through her mind, 'shitshitshitshit,' he raised his hand towards her and she closed her eyes.

The hit didn't come. Shane had tackled Ed and was beating him to a pulp while screaming obscenities at them. "If you ever hit another woman again, if I ever see yer' wife or daughter with so much as a bruise, I will not stop next time, you hear me!?" he shoved Ed's battered face to the ground before turning away and leaving. Emma was left breathless as Carol crooned and cried over her husband's passed out form. Before turning to walk away, she heard Jacqui mutter to Andrea.

**"Good thing Emma's daddy was here; God knows what might have happened." **


	3. Safety

_1 Year and 3 Months ago:_

_"Oh God Emma! I can't believe you're already fourteen!" came the voice of Miranda Wilks, Emma's best friend. Miranda was a tall girl with long hair and a thin face; that particular day she was sporting a bruise on her arm. When Emma asked about it, Miranda said it was nothing. Emma shrugged and allowed the blatantly fake excuse. One day Miranda would tell her why she always seemed to be covered in bruises. "Anyways, if you want you can sleepover at my house," Miranda had offered._

_"Of course! I would love to," Emma had replied like always. The two would go about their ways, and would walk around the town before eventually finding themselves sitting in her backyard on the old swing set. Emma would talk about how certain teachers were 'so-o-o unfair,' and Miranda would talk about how her latest art projects were going. The two, while different had been best friends for eight years. But that night everything had changed._

_After a tear jerking movie and a bowl of popcorn were gone, the girls finally went to sleep. Emma was always a light sleeper, and Miranda slept like the dead, so some nights Miranda would snore, keeping Emma awake. But it wasn't one of those nights. The house had paper thin walls, so you could hear every sound from every room. Emma woke up to the sound of a glass slamming down on the kitchen table. Ever curious and wanting to investigate the noise, she slipped from her polka dotted sleeping bag and crept around the corner of the hallway._

_In the kitchen was Miranda's dad, he reeked of whiskey, and was stumbling as he poured another drink. Hoping she could silently slip out, Emma backed up into the hallway, but he saw her. She was frozen with fear. He asked her in a soft voice to get back in there. She didn't want him to get angry, so she obeyed. His eyes had raked over her, and a lecherous smile went over his unshaven face. Before she knew what was happening, he grabbed her and-_

"Emma!"

Her eyes snapped open. Amy was standing a few inches away from her, a big smile on her face. "What?" Emma asked stupidly. She had fallen asleep in a chair with her back to the fire, this place felt really _safe_. Amy giggled before she finally replied.

"We're going fishing, do you want to come?" she offered kindly. Emma shook her head and looked at her apologetically. "It's okay, I bet Andrea'll want to come fishing with me at least, we haven't had any bonding time either," Amy explained before skipping off in her still spotless white jeans. Even before the apocalypse Emma hadn't been able to keep her white jeans clean! Shane started walking towards her as he gave an angry glance towards Laurie, but it softened when he saw Carl.

"You look like you've just seen a ghost kid, what's up your ass?" asked Shane as he sat by her. Emma laughed good naturedly.

"Well, a ghost wouldn't freak me out too much considering I've already seen the dead walking around, but it was just a nightmare. Nothing to worry about," she assured him after his face flashed on concern. But it could have just been her imagination. "Anyways, when do you think those guys will get back? I thought they said it would take until about noon..." she dragged off lamely when Shane's face got that look again.

"Well, Rick, god bless him, always wants to be the hero, and I bet he probably found some people and are helpin' em ou-" he was cut off by a strange appearance over the tops of some trees. Shoveling dirt like no tomorrow was that guy, Jim. He was perspiring heavily considering the heat of the day. Shane and Emma stood up at the same time, all of the others were looking in concern at him.

"Should we... you know, check that out?" asked Emma after a few beats of them doing nothing but watching. Shane nodded and the Mexican guy; damn Emma needed to learn his name, followed him up the hill in a hurry. Laurie walked up next to Emma, "What do you think he's doing?" Emma questioned as she stared at the strange scene.  
"Probably something stupid; I don't really care, all I know is that he's scaring Carl and Sophia, so he better stop," once again, the way the Laurie spoke chafed Emma immediately. It wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't exactly unfriendly. It wasn't motherly, but it wasn't as if she was speaking to Satan. It just felt like she was talking to a principal after being accused of wrong doings. After some moments of silence, Laurie muttered, "I'm going up there to see what's taking so long..."

Emma followed closely behind, and she noticed the rest of the campers trailing behind her. A smirk formed on her lips, 'obviously these people could be labeled followers.' They reached the top of the hill and saw a strange sight. Jim was digging what looked like graves as he mumbled about some dream he had. Emma was intrigued and wanted to question, but Shane seemed to think that yelling solved everything. Jim wasn't stopping despite all the things Shane was telling him. When Jim asked if he was scaring the kids, who shook their heads, Emma found herself shaking her head too. She was merely curious.

She stepped forward after Shane started to get violent. "Jim, at least take a break, or maybe I could help you later, I'm not that useful around camp," Emma said, trying to make him trust her. Jim looked at her for a moment before pausing slightly. "I mean, you look really sweaty, and could probably do with some water, right?"

"I can do this on my own, I don't need anyone to take care of me!" spat Jim before turning back into his shoveling. At least she tried, but she was disappointed at her failings. So Shane tackled him and the situation was cooled down. Soon enough, Jim was drinking water and sitting under the cool shade of a tree. "It was something about a dream, I don't remember it, but it was a dream..." he kept muttering over and over again. That did not satisfy Emma's questions, but she left it at that.

Carl went over there, cute kid, and sat with Jim, who began talking about how 'Rick is a good man,' and all that stuff. That family sure needed a lot of reassurances, especially since it was Shane who looked the most panicked about Rick not being there. So Emma went to speak with her father about what was going on. Shane was sitting there with Dale and quietly conversing in a menacing manner. Before she could try to listen in, Dale spotted her and coughed loudly before giving Shane a look.

She led Shane to the fire, where she picked up her machete and began sharpening it. Emma didn't want to feel completely awkward, so sharpening her blade would be something to fill the most likely to come uncomfortable silences. "Are you nervous about Rick and Daryl and Glenn and T-dog?" she asked, he looked at her strangely. "I mean, not to be nosy," she was surely being nosy, "and nothing makes me think this," lying, "but it looks like Laurie and Dale are mad at you... any reason why?" Emma could think of thousands of things that he could have done.

Shane was off put by the fact her conversation was going one way and completely shifted. He knew that tactic, it was used by officers to get information out of suspects. The fact that his teenage daughter was using it on him was very disconcerting. He did feel a little proud of her though, so he answered both questions. "I'm sure as hell nervous about Rick, Glenn, and T-dog... Not so much about Daryl though." He noticed the look in her face before correcting himself, "I mean he knows how to take care of himself."

She nodded at him, satisfied it seemed. But he could tell she still wanted an answer to her other question. If it had been anyone but a cop, her ploy may have worked. "Anyways, Laurie is mad at me because I told her Rick was dead, I thought he was! But then he showed up and now I look like a lying ass to half of the camp." Emma let out a huff of air as she nodded. Shane's eyes traveled over the machete as she sharpened it. "How do you know how to use that thing so damned well? I heard Daryl tellin' Dale bout how ya killed five or so walkers with it."

Initially Emma was amused at the fact that they called limpers 'walkers.' She quickly sobered up when she realized that Shane was trying to have an actual conversation with her. "Mom put me in fencing for a couple of years cause that's what all the other fancy moms were doing and she wanted them to all like her. I despised it, but I was really good, it's nothing compared to handling a machete but I understand how to handle a blade at least." She felt like she explained it well enough. "Although I never won any frikkin' trophies, mom told me that all the other moms hated it when I beat their stuck up brats. So I lost to make her happy."

Shane figured that that sounded like something she would do. In high school Karen had been a popular bitch and would do anything to be well liked by the rich and cool. Shane had been one of the cool, so... Well the story would end up with a broken condom and a freaked out Shane begging to be let off the hook. She had accepted and he never saw her again. "Well it's a good thing you know how to take care of yourself. Half the people here don't know how to do shit. Most of them ain't even shot a gun before!" Shane noticed that Emma rolled her eyes about that.

"I may be a crappy shot but at least I've shot before," she replied with a final sharpen to her machete. Shane watched her with interest as she treated the weapon with the tenderness one would use when holding an infant. It was obvious that she loved the thing, and the way she eyed people when they were around it told her that she meant business; he doubted that anyone would steal it and get away without a slit throat. "Anyways, it's getting kind of late, don't you want to get some firewood or something?" she asked after a moment of silence. He nodded and got up. "It was nice talking to you," Emma added.

"Yeah, it was nice to talk to yah too," he replied before leaving her to her thoughts. Soon Amy and Andrea came back, plenty of fish in hand. Laurie and practically everyone freaked out and started grovelling at their feet as they thanked them. What an interesting observation, Emma noted with a little glee at the new things to file away in her mind. This group was very interesting, she then realised happily that Ed was still recovering from his pounding given to him rightfully by Shane.

Soon enough, the smell of cooking fish wafted through the camp and everyone was drawn to the fire. It was a happy occasion, and Emma found herself enjoying it, but wondering where in the world that Daryl guy was. The night seemed uneasy and restless, the people were antsy. It just didn't feel right. But, the feeling was extinguished when everyone fell into conversation about their first limper kills. Jacqui had killed one in Atlanta while escaping, Shane's was one he killed while leaving the hospital Rick was in, Amy had killed one with a shovel at a campsite, and Andrea couldn't remember which one was her first, she just knew she had shot a lot of 'em. They turned to Emma, and asked her the same question. Urgh, way to kill a mood.

"Oh well, my mom came home from work feeling all dizzy and stuff, she wouldn't say why. So she laid down, every little thing was bothering her, and there was a nail barely sticking out of the stupid door frame. She got all angry and told me to go get a hammer to stick it back in the wall. I huffed and got all annoyed and went out to the garage. I got a hammer, and came back in the house. When I got to her room she wasn't in her bed. I was all confused, and I looked around for her. Then I was tackled to the ground. It was mom, she was all crazed looking and she kept trying to bite me... I had the hammer." The group sucked in breath, knowing what would come from it.

"I yelled for her to stop, and she didn't. I told her I was gonna kill her, but she didn't stop, she kept trying to bite me. I was really scared, so I pushed her off me, and raised the hammer... and well, it ended up in her eye socket- Mood killer huh?" she added, trying to calm the situation down. She was glad that Carl and Sophia were in the camper going to the bathroom for that conversation. Shane seemed a little bothered, but it was all okay.

The night dwindled and the moon rose, soon every noise made her feel nervous. It wasn't a pleasant nervous though, Emma felt scared. More scared than ever in her life, and it was unexplainable, because she was surrounded by people. But none of them had weapons in their hands like her, they joked about her paranoia, but she laughed it off, telling them that she was happy with being paranoid as long as she was alive. They didn't seem to understand the fear of being attacked when you were least expecting it.

Carl and Sophia returned, Carl was joking about how the boogeyman didn't seem all that scary anymore. Sophia vehemently agreed before sitting down in the warmth of her mother's embrace. Carl simply sat by his mother, she ruffled his hair kindly. His face flushed red in embarrassment. Emma grinned at this show of affection from mother to son; it was so natural that Emma felt a pang of sadness in her heart for her own dead mom. Amy began standing and brushing off those white jeans of hers.

"Where are you going?" Asked her sister Andrea with worry evident in her voice. Amy blushed and stuttered a bit before answering.

"Jeeze, can't even slip away to the bathroom anymore," causing the whole group to laugh good humoredly. Shane even laughed, putting his hand to his mouth, Emma wondered why he tended to do that when laughing. Maybe he had an embarrassing snort as a child? She shrugged, wanting to leave that observation to another night. While Amy was using the bathroom, Andrea began talking about how it was Amy's birthday. She never saw Andrea as animated as when she talked about her little sister that she clearly loved more than anything- or anyone.

"When she comes out of the bathroom, lets all yell 'happy birthday!'" Emma suggested as her eyes twinkled in memory of her own birthday surprises. Andrea grinned and the plan to do so was created. Even Shane was joining in, maybe he would one day warm up to his daughter. She hoped so, he seemed like a nice guy. So far at least. Things had been going very well, everyone was still talking and Andrea revealed a necklace to give to Amy, it was a pretty mermaid. The group had been watching the RV intently. They all turned around quickly though when the door to the camper began opening, feigning ignorance to the whole ordeal.

Amy stepped from the camper as they all yelled, "Happy Bir-!" they were cut off by Amy's blood curdling scream. All of them whipped around and saw a limper with its teeth sunk into Amy's collar bone. Andrea let out an ungodly yodel of 'Amy!' before running at the limper with her gun raised. Barely five beats passed and the whole camp was flooded with them. Shane started shooting, but screams rang out into the night.

Emma had reacted quickly, standing up and using all of her might to chop the nearest limpers head, it collapsed and she turned to the next one, which was advancing on Laurie and Carl, Shane's gun took it down first. Sophia let out a little childish shriek and Emma let that limper have it. Blood splattered on Emma's face, but she didn't notice. It was the dead fighting the living. Shane was herding the women and children to the camper while Emma and the remaining men; not many, fought.

She knew Shane would have told her to get in the RV, but he was too preoccupied with taking down a bunch of them which were swinging and biting at him. The empty click of his police gun revealed the worst had come. He was out of bullets. Just as a limper was about to sink its teeth into him, Emma chopped the head off of it, earning a grateful look. Dead bodies of their friends littered the ground, and there were still over twenty dead roaming the camp. The group was losing hope, but Emma kept chopping, she refused to die without a fight at least; she couldn't die like this, not after just meeting her father.

Salvation came; gunshots boomed through the area once more as Rick came back with T-Dog and Glenn sporting guns. In her happiness, Emma failed to notice a limper sneaking up behind her. It grabbed onto her and she screamed and flailed, trying to get it off of her, but it had her machete hand, so she couldn't kill it. A bolt from a crossbow flew by her face and into the limper who had her captive, it fell to the ground with a dull thud, and Emma's heartbeat was erratic. She spotted her saviour walking towards her with a grim look on his face. "You okay?" asked Daryl gruffly. Emma nodded and smiled weakly before promptly sitting down on the ground and putting her face in her hands. So much for safety.


	4. Tears Shed

"I remember what my dream was about," Jim said, and after that it was silent. The silence that fell on the camp was heavy and deafening. It was only punctuated by the sniffles and hidden sobs of Andrea as her face was buried in Amy's unbreathing chest. Emma couldn't bring herself to move her face from her hands, and Shane was surveying the damage. Soon, Rick and Shane erupted into a screaming match; Emma's hands moved from her face to her ears after only a few moments of yelling. The frustration and anger that was palpable in each person in the camp was just as smothering as the the silence. Laurie had Carl gathered in her arms, he was sobbing as she tried to shield him from the view of Amy's body. It didn't work.

Emma lifted her head, and watched for Sophia's reaction that didn't come. It was as if her father wasn't dead, the way Carol was behaving as if she was never married. They were simply sitting by each other, bathed in the new light of dawn, mother stroking daughter's hair. Emma didn't know what to do; Shane threw his hands in the air and stomped off in an opposite direction. She wondered if she should follow him, it would be the daughterly thing to do... but she couldn't bring herself to move. Shivers ran over her body, but someone threw a blanket over her in a ruffled quality that said the person did it quickly as if they didn't want to be seen.

But soon, the sun was fully up and the carnage was quickly estimated; about six dead, many of them Emma had never met. Jim revealed his bitten arm; and was quickly put in the RV so he could be comfortable. Eventually the heat from the sun caused Emma to stand, the rough green blanket sliding to the ground in the process. Her joints cracked and her muscles stretched; it felt good after being in such a tight pose for such a long time. A rough breathing; that of a limper broke her train of thought.

Amy had turned, Shane who had stalked back to the camp, and Rick started towards her, guns held erect. Andrea stopped them as she whispered in limper Amy's ear, "I love you," before the gunshot ended her sisters life. Andrea stood up, her hands wiping her eyes; her sad, sad eyes. Emma turned away to give some privacy to the mourning sister; so much pain was shown in her mien that it took away Emma's very breath. Daryl had a pick axe and was driving it into every dead persons head, ensuring they didn't reanimate; until it was time to put one in Ed's head. Carol strangely stepped up.

She walked towards her dead husband and lifted up the weapon before bringing it down harshly on his head. Again, she let out a sob, again, another sob, again, before she dropped the pick axe and stumbled backwards. Daryl was watching Carol with interest in his eyes, and Emma watched Daryl with the same look of fascination. He was strange; he saved her, twice, and he helped her so much. Yet everyone said he was harsh and rude, but it didn't matter what her opinion on him was. She had a slight crush on him, probably because he saved her, or because he was the only one in camp currently unattached, or it may be because he wasn't Glenn. Sure Glenn was cute and funny, but his density, his thickness at being able to read people drove Emma insane.

But it was obvious that Daryl was attracted to Carol, who was trying to keep herself together at the moment, but it wouldn't stop Daryl, and the fact that Daryl liked Carol wouldn't stop Emma from having strange feelings for him. But back to the matter at hand, the Morales family was leaving to go on their own way. She shrugged it off, and felt her gaze once more drawn to the grieving Andrea who Dale was attempting to comfort. Shane stood up, Rick by his side, they seemed to have reconciled, Emma wasn't sure if she was glad or not about that. She just didn't trust Rick. He never gave her any reason not to, but he was very controlling, not in a Shane way.

At that moment, Shane was feeling an internal battle. His anger towards Rick was immense; he couldn't stand the thought of being forced to become second in command, like always. Angry feelings also were directed at Laurie, who now looked at him like shit on her shoes. Like he wasn't any better than a walker. He followed her gaze, which now was resting on Emma. He also disliked how she blatantly frowned down upon his child. Mostly he was angry at himself for falling in love with Laurie and wishing Carl was his own son, for wishing his best friend since high school was dead.

These emotions were mixed with happiness; his happiness at having an unbiased confidant in his daughter. His happiness towards feeling the blossoms of love to Laurie, his happiness of Carl acting as his son. Not to mention his happiness at the fact that his best friend was alive. His confusion was immense, and the pain in his chest over the events of last night made his emotions even more confusing. But the happiness and anger also minced with sadness due to the deaths of those in the camp. It was horrific, and seeing the bodies made him feel sick. But now the group was splitting up, and they were without any help made for more troubles on his mind.

Finally a decision was come to (morely a decision made by Rick without anyone else but his wife's consent); they were going to drive to the CDC and try to find answers and safety. Shane didn't want to do it, he thought they were being stupid. They should just do the right thing and go to a place with possible military safety and help. But no, they were listening to Rick. It's all about Rick now, all Shane can focus on is how Rick is changing everything and not for the better, at least not for himself. "Let's ask the group what they'd want to do," piped up Emma as she sent Grimes a 'look.' He glared at her slightly, but she dutifully ignored him.

"What would y'all like to do?" he asked, looking around the group. His eyes alit on Andrea first, but she simply turned away, looking like a lost child. Carol shook her head slightly, as if she didn't agree with either man. Glenn and Dale looked at each other, before looking back at Rick and Shane; both agreeing that they'd rather go to the CDC. Then it was Daryl, who said he wanted to go to the military base. It was decided that the group would go to the CDC. But first, Rick wanted to stop by an old person's home because he had 'friends' there.

Everyone got into cars, Daryl into a jeep, Shane into a police car type thing, Rick and pretty much everyone else went into the RV. Emma hopped into Shane's passenger seat. He gave her a smile, "Hey there kiddo," he said, but his voice had a gravel quality to it that immediately made her realise he was mad at his group. "Let's go," Shane started, and the caravan of sorts took off down the road.

"You're mad at them, aren't you?" she asked after they had been driving for ten minutes. He gave her a curt nod. "It's stupid to go to the CDC, it's as if they don't even know the rules..." Emma muttered as she rolled her eyes. Shane turned to look at her, his eyes were narrowed and suspicious.

"What rules are we talkin' bout here Emma? There ain't no rules left in this world 'cept for kill or be killed." He looked comically like an action hero when he said that, and Emma had to refrain from bursting out into fits of laughter.

"You don't know?" she faltered, "Haven't you read any informational books?" Shane glared at her, but she barreled on. "The CDC is a TOP NOTCH government facility. Do you REALLY think that they don't have a backup plan to what happens when the power goes down?"

"They have a backup generator, I know that much, so what in the hell are you talking about?" he asked exasperatedly.

"It has weaponized diseases- smallpox, EBOLA, do you know what ebola does to you? Because I had to endure a whole video about that disease in science, it makes you bleed out of every orifice on your body!" she flushed red, realising she was far from the point she was trying to make. "What I'm saying is... if the power went out, and the generators went down, it would go into a self-destruct mode. I've got a feeling that these scientists and government officials would rather see the CDC explode or... I don't know, go up in flames, rather than see these diseases get out." Shane, her dad, she guessed she should be calling him, was looking at her as if she was God herself.

"How do you know all this?" he asked incredulously, as if he couldn't possibly believe her. She rolled her eyes and blew a string of hair from her face.

"I read a lot, I used to check the CDC's website once a month- mostly because I was looking to see if they've cured ebola yet, don't ask, it was a traumatic video that still scares the bejesus out of me...ANYWAYS, I read its building information, and when it gets into that last bit of power, it does something drastic, I don't know what." Emma felt herself sighing as she continued her little monologue of sorts. "I just think that by now, they're probably down to their last bits of power, and you know what that means? That means it's gonna go in shutdown mode, and if I'm correct, we'll all probably, scratch that, DEFINITELY die. If it wants to keep in all diseases, it would need to kill all living organisms in the building."

Shane looked thoughtful for a moment, and then nodded. "I'll try to convince them, but I doubt they'll listen... since Rick came 'round, nobody wants to listen to me anymore." He sighed, but for some reason, he didn't pull up his walkie talkie to call the others. Emma felt herself grow suspicious; she didn't do anything though.

The CDC was a monstrous building, and Emma immediately felt her nerves go on edge. But she trusted the judgement of the group. It was a dumb move, but it was too late to go back. The sky seemed to be on fire as the sun set, and Emma knew that they needed to get undercover, or risk being spotted and swarmed. She hopped out of the car, and everyone ran in a tight pack towards the entrances, which were covered by steel shutters. It seemed hopeless. They stared at the doors, and Rick began screaming at it to open up.

Nothing happened. Emma knew something or someone had to be in there. "Let's just go Rick, it was a bad plan man," said Shane. Rick then rapidly shook his head, and stopped everyone from turning to leave.

"Look!" he screamed, Emma whirled around quicker than everyone else and from the corner of her eye, she saw the camera twitch.

"What is it Rick?" asked Laurie, not paying attention to the fact that her son was standing by the body of a dead army man who had a machine gun still in his arms. He gestured madly at the camera.

"It moved! Someone is in there!" then he looked beseechingly at the camera. "There are women and children with us! Please! Women and children! You have to help us! PLEASE! You're letting us die here, you're letting us DIE!" he was banging on the doors, and the others were looking nervous and freaked out. Limpers were beginning to come out, and obviously whoever was controlling the camera wasn't listening to Rick yet, he could have gone on for another ten minutes, but Emma decided to intervene. She turned on the waterworks.

"Please!" she sobbed, banging on the door with him, he looked bewildered at her joining his quest, but the two screamed together, with fake girlish sobs in between words.

The doors burst open, and a bright light flooded over the group, rendering them speechless.

Shane was stunned when Rick and his daughter's crazy idea turned out to be right. They walked into the CDC quietly, as if they were walking into a tomb. He glanced over at Emma, who had her eyes peeled and was walking backwards, watching the open door until it closed. She then turned around, her thick curls swinging and her flinty eyes staring at the man standing in front of them. "Have any of you been bitten?" the man asked, eyeing the group cautiously.

"None of us have been bit- well one, but we left him behind," Rick came forward first, annoying Shane to no end. The man nodded again, he had a creepy air about him, but Shane wasn't complaining. This man had saved their lives after all.

"If you don't mind, I'll do blood tests on you all," he said and for some reason Emma's eyes narrowed, mystified at this assessment, Shane demanded to know the man's name. "My name is Doctor Edwin Jenner, if you'll all follow me..." and thus began the tedious process of everyone having their blood drawn. Shane had to bite his lip to keep from laughing at Laurie's faint look as she had hers taken. Emma was last, still looking suspicious.

"I think I would know if I was bitten," she grumbled with obviously annoyed tones in her voice. Jenner ignored her and continued doing his work. After ten minutes, their blood tests came back- negative apparently. "May I see the charts?" asked Emma, craning her neck to look at the doctor's clipboard, but he shied away from her. By the look in her dark eyes, she was filing away the behaviour of the solitary man.

"Now follow me to the guest wing- showers, no beds, the couches are comfortable, just don't use all the hot water," Jenner said with a nod to the others.

"Hot water?" echoed both Emma and Laurie at the same time, looking excited. Shane grinned at the others, and chose an empty room to put his things down in. Emma lingered in the doorway, but Shane pretended not to notice her, so she turned away dejectedly and hurried down the hall to a different room.

What had she honestly expected? Emma had wondered as she stumbled into one of the few remaining rooms. She hadn't expected anything like the offer of sharing a room with her father, but any reassuring words would have been nice. A sneer appeared on her face as she pushed any thoughts of her father from her mind, and then she noticed Daryl was in the room across from her, and an almost imperceptible blush appeared on her face. Emma cursed herself again before going over the facts she had collected over the past few months of the dead taking over the world.

Number one, she had seen someone who hadn't been bit turn into a limper for no reason. Number two, only shots to the head could kill them, otherwise you better watch out. Number three, they went by scent, sound, and vision. Number four, hiding under a dead body would make them pass you by without a second look. Number five, possibly the most important: vigilance, no weakness, eyes always peeled.

Going over the list often helped calm down Emma after being severely annoyed by someone. Namely her father and herself. Why didn't her father care about her? She knew that they barely knew each other, but it still hurt to be rejected by her only living family member. Then herself, once again, barely knowing the man known as Daryl, she felt herself drawn to him- he was older than her fucking father and yet she preferred him over the kind and closer to her age Glenn! She shook her head again, biting her lip and pushing her hair from her face. She chose to shower before this so called 'celebratory dinner.'

Getting into the shower was like stepping into a life gone by. The steam filled the room and goosebumps rose on her skin; the scent of actual soap was lovely and not to mention she felt really clean for the first time. That reservoir water just hadn't done it for her. After getting out, she discovered that everyone had gone to dinner without her. Biting her lip, she followed the sounds of talking to discover everyone around a large table, chowing down food. Emma sat and gave them a tight smile before digging into the food- and reaching for the wine. Shane's hand stopped her before she reached the bottle.

"What?" she demanded, her hand still clamped around the neck of the bottle. A couple conversations had stopped and they looked up towards her and Shane.

"You aren't twenty-one, you shouldn't be drinking," he started, but she cut him off, using his words from earlier.

"There aren't any rules, remember?" she then used a fake manly voice to imitate her father, "There ain't any rules anymore, 'cept kill or be killed." Her father flushed as the rest of the room chuckled, and she poured a hefty glass for herself. From the looks she had been getting, she realised that none of them expected her to finish it with her senses still intact. So she explained, "In Kentucky, the only good time my town had was getting drunk over the weekend with our friends, I had the occasional wine cooler with my friends."

For once, Laurie didn't anger her by the way she reacted. Laurie was simply hiding a smirk and nodding in agreement, as was Carol, Daryl, and even Glenn.

It was at least twenty minutes later that everyone was drunkenly chatting about random things and joking with each other, even Carl got to try some of the wine. "Not you little man," started Daryl a little drunkenly with a grin towards Glenn, "I wanna see how red your face can get!" the group erupted into laughter. It was humorous and Emma even found herself giggling as she felt the effects of the alcohol course through her body.

After a few beats of silence, Rick 'the-good-guy' Grimes stood, clinking his glass. "I would like to thank our host," he began, 'more than our host!' chimed in someone, and everyone did thank him, rather loudly, but now Shane's eyes were narrowed, and he looked determined to speak.

"So when the hell are you gonna tell us what happened here doc?" he demanded, silencing the group at once. "All of the uh, the other doctors were supposed to be figuring out what happened. Where are they?" Shane was so calm, so dead eyed now that it sent a shiver down Emma's spine.

"We're celebrating Shane. Don't need to do this now," Rick began, sitting by his wife and Carl. Now Emma's face heated up, even in her buzzed state she was getting annoyed by the way her father was constantly undermined by Rick.

"Well wait a second... this is WHY we're here, right?" a small smirk appeared on his face. "This was your move, we came here to 'find all the answers' and instead we found," an angry chuckle escaped his lips, "him." Shane jerked his thumb towards Jenner. "We found one man, why?"

A/N: I took some direct dialogue from the show and threw it in. Hope you liked it, it ended very abruptly I know, but I want to keep my chapters around 3,000 words, so I stopped it there. I also decided it would have been wiser for Jenner to show them to their rooms first so they could drop off their clothes and stuff. (Sorry if that bothered anyone!)


	5. A Turn of Events

**Chapter 5: A turn of Events **

"When it got bad, a lot of people just... left," Jenner paused, looking grave, "Went off to be with their families." He had the attention of Emma and the whole room now. "And when things got worse, when the military got overrun; the rest bolted." Shane chimed in then, he seemed to sound a little cocky for Emma's tastes.

"Every last one?" But Jenner had a queer smile on his face.

"No, many couldn't face walking out the door. They opted out. There was a rash of suicides- that was a bad time."

"You didn't leave," Andrea began, causing Emma to look up suddenly; it was a surprise to hear her voice after her not speaking for so long. "Why?" she asked; her eyes beseeching.

"I just kept working, hoping to do some good." Those words effectively ended the conversation.

"Dude, you are such a buzz kill man," moaned Glenn with a glare towards Shane. Emma heartily agreed with him, but she kept silent on the matter, not wanting to incense her father further. The dinner ended quickly after the awkward silence that fell over the table. Rick was the only one to stay behind with a bottle of wine, Emma rolled her eyes and followed closely behind Daryl.

It wasn't that she liked to ogle his manly appearance, but he wasn't too bad to look at in a world where about ninety-nine percent of the men had flesh stuck between their teeth. Her father was handsome, she guessed, Rick was okay to look at, if he ever shut up. Glenn and T-Dog were both sufficiently cute in their own way, and Dale was an adorable old guy. Carol, Sophia, Carl, and Laurie all volunteered to head to the recreation room after they all showered, giving. Carol kindly invited Emma to meet them there. She gladly accepted.

Her inner distrust of people, and her easily annoyed side told her that they were basically just interviewing her as the only potential babysitter in the apocalypse. Well- Laurie might have been at least, Carol seemed genuine in her affection towards everyone in the group. Jacqui had been oddly silent throughout the dinner, especially after the suicide comment thrown out by Jenner. It was a little worrying for Emma, they needed all the people they could get. Not to mention Jacqui was fun to talk to, and she was a good cook.

Now sitting in her room, Emma leaned against the wall listening to the sound of running water flowing through the pipes. It was almost as calming as the actual shower had been, it just gave her a sense of normalcy that had been lacking lately. The sound, mixed with the comforting cool air of the room lulled Emma into a state of unconsciousness.

_Opening her eyes, Emma had found herself in her living room, sitting on the floor. Spread out before her was her history project on the Cold War. The television was blaring, the news talking about the spread of a deadly virus, warning everyone to stay inside. All hospitals had closed, everyone was to evacuate to certain cities, seeing as they had been in Kentucky, Northern Kentucky at that, their district was directed to go to Indianapolis. Emma had known that her mother hated long car rides, and she hated Indianapolis for some reason. She figured they could handle it themselves._

_At that moment, the front door opened, and in walked the very object of her thoughts. Her mother was shaky and pale, uncomfortable looking. It just didn't seem right, and Emma couldn't help but worry about her mom's wellbeing. She worked at a public office, the DMV, so she ran into a bunch of basketcases every day. It wasn't unusual to see her like this, but she looked worse than ever._

_"Mom, are you okay? You seem a bit pale..." muttered Emma distractedly, looking up at her mother from her history project. Karen Smith, usually a very put together and perfectly attired woman with expertly coiffed hair, was covered in sweat, her makeup running, and her clothing torn. She looked as if she had been robbed. "Mom? Mom?" the dark haired girl repeated several times, it didn't seem to work, so she decided to use her mother's first name instead. "KAREN!"_

_It seemed to work, as her mother looked at her with a cracked smile. Blood dotted the edges of her mouth, and the whites of her eyes were practically yellow. "I-I'm fine Em N' Em, just a bit of a headache, must be the heat getting to me." That explained the sweat, Emma guessed pathetically. Her instincts had been screaming that something was wrong. She wasn't listening to them though, she wanted to believe that despite the news stories, everything was alright. "I'll just go lay down for a while..." her mother hobbled out of the room and down the hallway._

_After about an hour, her mother called her name. "EMMA! I thought I told you to fix this fucking door frame last week!" the usually nasal voice of her mother grated on her nerves more than it ever had in years. So reluctantly, Emma opened their rusting tool box and picked out a hammer. They didn't have many tools, so she was lucky they even had this. Mother and daughter weren't a very handy couple of women, sometimes it seemed that between them, barely any skills existed at all._

_The bedroom was deadly quiet, save for the sound of her mother's labored breathing and groaning from the bed. "Are you sure you're alright?" begged Emma, worried for the wellbeing of her only remaining family (besides her scumbag father, psh, as if she cared about him.) She saw the nail sticking out of the doorframe, and picked up the hammer. "Mom...?" Hands clamped down onto Emma's shoulders and pushed her forwards. Mother and daughter fell into the hallway in a heap, the hammer still clutched in Emma's hand. "What the hell are you doing!?" shrieked Emma, ignoring that she was cussing at her usually strict mother._

_After years of being nothing but a mother who worked in an office, and Emma being a fencer and an enthusiastic, but poor swimmer, Emma was far stronger than her mother. She pushed the woman off and rolled over to face a dead eyed woman with a crazed snap to her jaws. "Stop! MOM! STOP!" Tears rolled down her face before she even registered her own distress and fear. The creature that was once her mother lunged once more, her teeth dangerously close to Emma's jugular. "I will kill you if you don't get off me, mom, I'm warning you, GET OFF!"_

_Her mother did not get off her. She repeated the warning several more times before she began to lose hope. The moans, the groans, the terrifying appearance of her mother made those news stories all the more real. In her hand was the heavy weight of the hammer, and suddenly it became clear that she needed to drive it into the skull of her diseased mother. Her fingers gripped around the handle of the hammer, then she swung. The sharp part of the hammer went into her head._

_Fear still coursing through her veins, Emma swung again, and again, and again, until her mother's head was nothing but mush on the hallway floor. "Oh my God..." whispered Emma in horror, before promptly falling backwards and hitting her head on the wall. That moment, there was a crash at the front door, and it sounded like someone was breaking in. Terrified for her life, Emma held up the hammer, trying to look brave. When whoever it was came around the corner though..._

"Kid! Kid! EMMA!" a rough voice shook her awake and her eyes opened to meet Daryl's."You were screaming in yer' sleep, not loud enough to alarm the others, but still, if they had heard you, you woulda' had half the group runnin' for you. We're already on our last nerves as it is! The man huffed and glared at the young woman. Her face flushed red, and he shook his head. "Damned girls, screamin' over everything. Can't ever seem to shut up," he scoffed. Now, Emma's natural sense of annoyance came back.

"I don't scream over everything 'Oh Great Deer Killer,' I was having a particularly bad nightmare about killing my first limper. Sorry for accidentally feeling fear in my sleep; something I can't control whatsoever. Fine, blame it on my gender," she replied haughtily with a scrunched nose. "But I have a meeting in the rec room, so have a wonderful night," Emma hissed. She stood and swept out of the room, and noticed with some pleasure that he watched her as she walked down the hallway. Not that she wanted him to feel that way about her, but it was nice to be looked at... yeah, that was it.

The rec room was an okay place, plenty of books, Emma liked reading, but she still had a survival guide to read, so she figured she would have to deal with that first. Carol and her soft spoken words soothed her frayed nerves, Sophia was the most adorable girl she'd ever met. Then Laurie was actually quite relaxed and without her usual sense of superiority, which was a nice change of attitude. Carl seemed to dote on Sophia in a cute crush kind of thing. After an hour or two of searching through games and books, Sophia, Carl, and Carol decided to go to bed.

Emma thought that staying and chatting with Laurie seemed like the better thing than going to an empty room to sleep. Just as Emma opened her mouth to speak, an obviously inebriated Shane shambled into the room, he was eyeing Laurie in a way that made Emma's mouth taste sour. "Hello Shane," greeted Laurie, backing up ever so slightly. It was obvious she was a little afraid, and Emma wondered what would have happened had she not been there.

"Yes, hello dad," intoned Emma from her own little corner. Shane's eyes snapped from Laurie to the other occupant of the room. "I was actually wondering if you would come with me to speak to Doctor Jenner about something," she began, grabbing his arm, much to his chagrin. He reluctantly followed her out of the room, and she led him to where she assumed Jenner would be- the lab.

Father and daughter walked in silence, Shane quickly sobering, or at least attempting to. They found Jenner after about ten minutes of searching. Rick was stumbling out of the room as they entered, and the doctor appeared to be preparing for bed. "Wait!" called Emma quickly, stopping him.

He turned around, "Yes?" Jenner inquired with a raised brow.

"I need to know- what happens when the power goes down, and how long until we run out of fuel?" he opened his mouth to begin to explain, but Shane put up his hand.

"Tell it in terms we can understand doc, I'm halfway drunk right now," muttered Shane, putting his hand over his eyes, obviously shading them from the fluorescent lighting.

"Okay... terms you can understand..." mumbled the doctor with a puzzled expression. "Well, I guess you could say, the air catches on fire. That's the simplest way to explain it. It will be the best way to die in such a cruel world, like Rick said, it's cruel to allow us to keep living here. With the combustion its easy. No pain, just a split second, and poof, you're gone." Emma nodded hesitantly and Shane looked angry. In fact, he was seething about what Rick had supposedly said.

"How long until this happens!?" he demanded immediately, seeming as if this news was all he needed to sober up. His shoulders had squared and his jaw had gone into a set expression that would intimidate a lesser man.

"Tomorrow night." Jenner whispered with a strange expression of calm. He had been waiting for it, wanting it. It made sense to want it, after all, the world sucked now.

"Then you can turn off the power tonight, conserve enough energy, and then open the doors in the morning to let us out," reasoned Emma desperately. She felt nervousness shaking her body- after all that terror and drama, to die in a freaking fire!?

Jenner slowly nodded, "Fine, tomorrow morning I'll let your group out." Shane looked pleased at this information. Although she noted that Jenner had an air of sadness about him that couldn't be denied.

"Thank you," he said more earnestly than Emma had ever heard Shane speak in her few days of acquaintance. Then again, when being told that you won't blow up, one tends to be very thankful.

"Goodnight Doctor Jenner," backing out of the room, Emma dragged Shane to the door. Then Emma paused, "Wait, I have a question..." she didn't quite know how to go about it. "I was with this group... and well, one guy decided to end it all. He decided to hang himself, but when he stopped breathing, he, he turned into a limper. We killed him and cut him down, we inspected every part of his body. No bites; I don't get it."

"Ah, it seems I'm not the only one in the world who knows. I won't beat around the bush, if you're leaving tomorrow, I guess you deserve to know what you're going back out into. You're all infected, the disease is inside of all of you, if you die, without smashing the brain, you turn. It doesn't matter how- you just do. Now, I really need the sleep, goodnight."

Emma and Shane walked back to their rooms, and as they reached the hallway they were due to stay in, the lights went out. It looked like Jenner had taken their advice. Shane smiled at this, even in his drunken state. Both father and daughter fell asleep that night on opposite ends of the hall, both happy, and both ready to leave the Center for Disease Control forever. Around what Emma assumed to be three in the morning, she awoke with the uncomfortable feeling of being watched.

Her room was closed off, nobody could have been watching her. Sometimes her mom told her that she woke up during the night when people dreamed about her, but none of those in the group liked her enough. It was just clear that Emma was feeling uncomfortable in such a different place, one that was like a flashback to the world before the end... and one that was due to blow up the following morning.

The next morning shone bright and clear, several of the group had hangovers, Rick's was particularly humorous. Breakfast was a silent affair, save T-Dog's chuckle inducing comment about how he made the best powdered eggs. It was interrupted though, by Doctor Jenner standing up to give his announcement. "I'm sure some of you noticed, that the power in the guest wing was off for most of the night, I'm sorry for the inconvenience. In about twenty minutes though, you'll have to pack your bags and head back out onto the road."

Several gasps rang out through the table, Laurie particularly looked aghast. "You, you can't throw us out! We'll die out there," she exclaimed, looked as if she'd rather swallow glass. Carol nodded in agreement, silent as always. Daryl's lip simply curled and he when Emma caught his gaze, it was obvious that he knew that she knew something he didn't. She nodded to Shane, and Daryl obviously understood that there was an understanding between Jenner and the Walsh family.

"You'll definitely die in here though, it would be less painful than the death outside, but it would be too prompt for some of you, I'm sure." a few of the others looked confused, so he alliterated. "We're almost out of gas, the world runs on fossil fuels, how stupid is that? And when it runs out, the building shuts down, and well, the air catches on fire." More gasps, this time it was Shane refraining from rolling his eyes. This wasn't a soap opera!

Jenner continued, "But, since I shut the power off, I have enough energy left to lift the metal gates covering the front entrances. You'll have to leave soon though, very soon, or risk not having enough power at all." Rick nodded with understanding conveyed in his eyes. "Some of you may stay, if you wish it. It'll be quick, painless... suffice it to say, better than dying out there."

Emma noticed Andrea and Jacqui's piqued interest almost immediately. So, instead of letting them die, Emma selfishly decided and stated out loud, her opinion. "I don't believe it would be wise for any of us to stay behind, if you do that, you're just putting everyone else in the group in danger by lowering numbers, rather than helping anyone but yourself." Jacqui looked guilty, and she leaned on T-Dog sadly, whereas Andrea didn't look any different. Maybe some people just couldn't be changed.

"Let's go get packed everyone," said Shane, clapping his hands, glad for the opportunity to be back in charge. The group stood, and everyone but Andrea left to get their stuff. Dale would have none of it though, and he stayed to plead with Andrea. Maybe she was too weak a link to stay with them, at least that's how Emma rationalized it. Instead of actually mourning the loss of such a useful member of the group.

After about fifteen minutes, they were at the doors, and the gates were about to lift. All weapons were at the ready, Emma had her machete held tightly in her hands. The gates lifted up, revealing the scorching hot Georgia day, and several limpers already milling about the front of the building. Almost immediately the group killed them, thankfully Shane had advised people with hand weapons or silent weapons, such as pipes, Daryl's bow, and Emma's machete to be used instead of attention drawing guns.

Emma swung into Shane's car again, taking the passenger seat. This time, he looked much more happy for her company, which she took as a good sign for their growing relationship. Finally, as the gates began to close, Dale dove out with Andrea's hand in his. Old man and young woman eventually joined the group and started the cars.

As they barreled down the highway during mid-afternoon, a sudden flash of fiery light in the distance reminded Emma of Doctor Jenner's fate, and how horrible it must be to die so very alone.

**A/N: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. I'm really trying to give different aspects of certain characters through Emma's eyes, and I am trying REALLY hard not to make Emma very Mary-Suish or anything of the sort. (As for my reviewers, I really wish some of you had accounts, as I very much would like to personally mail you with thank-yous for reviewing once I eventually finish the story. That was the end of season one, I was trying to keep it compliant with each episode, but ehhh, I made it one episode short. I might have to make an extra chapter to add onto 'part two.) **


	6. History Revealed

_A/N: I'm at a crossroads right now with what I'm going to do with this storyline. So, do we want a slightly strange (considering the age difference) DarylxOC (aka Emma) story, or do we want an OCxOC story (Emma and someone else?) Answer in comments, or PM me! If you have any other pairing ideas, I'll be game._

**Chapter 6:**

After the panic settled, they decided maybe it was time after all to visit the old persons home that Rick had suggest. Emma felt a little apprehensive about it, but Shane told her that everything would be alright. So they drove; it wouldn't be that long until they reached their destination, but it felt like it had taken hours. The sun was still up, so Emma knew that she was exaggerating to herself.

They stopped finally, at the elders home. It was destroyed. The windows were busted in, blood was everywhere. But hero Rick wanted to go inside and see what had happened. Of course. "Can you keep an eye on Carl for me?" asked Laurie in passing, tapping Emma on the shoulder. Emma pulled a face, but grabbed the kid's hand anyways. He attempted to pull away, but she pulled him back.

"Look here Carl, I know you think that you're something special- don't give me that look, and I know that you think that because your dad is becoming the new leader that you deserve something better... But guess what? Your mom entrusted you to me for whatever reason, so that means you stay by me, and don't make a sound. We're going into limper territory." He glared, but nodded anyways. He looked angry, but she didn't care, and they went into the building.

When going through an upper floor, they heard the groans of a limper, and Sophia was about to start crying. If she did, they would be heard, and that would be... bad. Carl comforted the young girl, and she shut up quick enough that Emma had time to stand up and immediately dismember the limper. Rick shot her a glare, it vaguely reminded her of the glare Carl sent towards her earlier. She had to once again refrain from laughing. "That was incredibly stupid of you to try, what if there had been more?" he demanded.

Emma felt her eyes rolling, but then she felt bad for undermining him in front of his family and the others... but then again, if he was pissing off her dad, she could undermine him all she wanted. "But there wasn't," she hissed in reply. "But we should leave anyways, we shouldn't have even brought the kids into here, do you see their faces? They are terrified." Rick at least had the good grace to look guilty. He nodded, grudgingly, but they agreed to leave in a timely manner. They got back into their vehicles, and once more they were surrounded by limpers. The group killed a fair amount, but then they got onto the road again.

For about an hour, Emma and her father rode in silence, but all good things must come to an end, as Shane began to question her. She had been waiting for this, but she really wasn't too keen on answering too much. "Where were you before you found us, I remember you saying something about previous groups that you had been in?" Letting out one of the loudest and longest sighs she had ever made, it was decided that it was best she start from the very beginning; just after she killed her mother.

"The house's screen door was broken through, I mean, it wouldn't be that hard, but about five limpers had shambled into the house. Oh God, I screamed so loudly, I probably would've passed out if I hadn't known that I would have died if I did. With my hammer still in my hand, I stood up and started hitting them. The first one went down surprisingly easy, and I felt sick- I had killed someone. Since the entrance was blocked, and I didn't want to kill anyone else- don't look at me like that, I didn't know at the time, I decided to go through my bedroom window. So I popped the screen out and fell into the backyard. Several more limpers were milling around the neighborhood."

"I ran. I ran harder and faster than I had ever ran in my life, speeding past them and swerving around the masses of them. Gunshots, I heard gunshots about every ten seconds, but I didn't see who was shooting. Suddenly someone had grabbed me and pulled me into the back of a pickup truck that had sped around the corner, I screamed, but the put their hand over my mouth and shot a few more limpers before we barreled down the street and away from my home." Shane's eyes remained on the road, but his attention was solely on this young woman's story of how she came to find him.

"We ended up holed up in the town's hunting store. It was a few boys from school and their parents and siblings. Nobody asked what happened to my mom, and we lived there for about four days. Then, of course, there was some dispute over power and how we were gonna get food. They sent us; and by us I mean me and three of the older guys to scavenge the surplus military store in the next county over. The boys from school couldn't even put themselves out the door, but they had no problem practically throwing me on my ass. Why I got sent with them had been a mystery. At first. We got in a jeep and drove there, thankfully, being a smaller area, the drive wasn't long. The place was ransacked, but we went in anyways, hoping to find something."

"I found something," a proud smile bloomed on Emma's face. "I found my machete, laying under an overturned shelf," her face soured. "If those... monsters had known I had it, they wouldn't have tried what they tried. They said that people disappeared and died all the time now without anyone really caring- they said, 'We could do whatever we wanted, and then say you got bit.'" A cold chill ran down Shane's spine. "One of them tried to grab me, but... I stabbed him in the gut. I killed a man who wasn't even turned. I don't regret it. In their shock, I ran from the store, as quickly as possible. I stole their Jeep and just... drove. Anywhere but there."

A cold laugh escaped her lips before she continued, "I crashed the effing car. Wasn't paying attention, falling asleep at the wheel, I crashed into a pillar under a bridge. Minimal damage, surprisingly, but I was stuck wherever I was. A place called 'Red River Gorge.' Climbing, camping, hiking, canoeing kind of place. This was only a week into the plague. I was discovered by a group of men, returning from a climbing trip no less! Talking about how they climbed while one belayed, and the other kept watch with a shotgun. Those guys said, 'no dead people are gonna stop our fun.' They took me to their camp."

"The Gorge was surprisingly calm, most of the limpers ended up with their heads burst open at the base of a cliff after taking a tumble. The rest got shot by the many men and women who still lived there. I stayed in the campground behind some local ran pizza place, some of the men had set up a makeshift chain link fence around the perimeter. Before I could go in though, I had to go through two days solitary stuck in the basement of the place. Afterwards, they welcomed me, and I got the tent of a hiker who had never returned from visiting the Natural Bridge." Glancing over, Shane saw her eyes had a glossy quality as she spoke now.

"Those were the best two weeks of my life since the plague started. I made a lot of friends, and I got hired out by climbing groups to protect the belayer in case a limper came, because if the belayer died, nobody would be able to stop the climber if they fell. That's how I got my pack, that's how I got my pans, knives, and everything else I have. Trading; I interviewed my closest friends from the camp, I didn't want to forget them. Nights were filled with campfires and laughter, save for the few nights I had to be a guard on the perimeter. Days were filled with hiking and the occasional limper slaughter."

Shane interrupted for the first time, "Then what in the hell made you leave?" he demanded. His mind had filled with grandeur about a safe place to take the group, instead of sending them to the unknown. A strange smile flitted over Emma's face.

"You."

"Me?"

"Yes, I wanted to find you, you're my dad. My only family, I wanted to know if you were alive. I know it was stupid of me. When I want something, I go for it, and I really wanted to meet you. I hadn't been allowed to when mom was alive... but you know, since she was dead, I wanted to see you for myself. I could have died on the way here, but at least I was dying with a goal, and at least I proved to myself you were alive, because that's all that matters. I wanted a family, and I have one again."

Shane let out a sigh that was almost twin to the one Emma had let out a few minutes before that. "Is there any possible way we could get back to that place? It sounds safe... somethin' the group sorely needs right now."

Her face clouded over. "I told them I was leaving, I felt bad, but I had to. When I did, they told me that I would always be welcome... unless I brought any more than three people. They couldn't have overcrowding. They care too much about each other to jeopardize it for me bringing in a group of potentially dangerous newbies. So I agreed, they gave me a car, some gas, and let me go. Then... they blew up the bridge leading into the valley. Only someone who knows the area would be able to maneuver around to get in. I'm happy that they'll be safer than me, but I needed to find you."

Shane shook his head slowly, "Dammit Emma, you could have been happy. You could have lived the rest of your life out with those people. You wasted it, on who? Me, a fucking deadbeat dad who never was there for you. Me, an ass who fell in love with his best friend's wife. Me, the man who doesn't deserve to live, let alone lead this group?" Emma put her hand up angrily, stopping him.

"Don't you dare belittle my sacrifice! You are my FATHER, without you, I wouldn't be here, and you act like that means nothing. You may not have been there for when I was born, or for any of my important firsts or birthdays, but you are here, NOW. When I need you the most, I need you dad, you are keeping me sane, and that matters more to me right now than safety ever had. So just let me live with my choices." Emma's voice had started out sounding livid, but she calmed as she spoke.

The RV in front of them stopped suddenly, and Shane had to slam on the brakes to keep from rear ending the RV in front of him. "Shi..." Emma began, staring at the massive jam of cars in front of them, steam or smoke or something was pouring out of the RV's engine. Emma wasn't good with cars or anything to do with engines.

"Come on," began Shane slowly, his dark eyes staring over the cars. Emma exited the vehicle, and ended up standing by Carl and Sophia, who were both looking spooked. (Sophia more than Carl, of course.) Dale had already parked himself on top of the RV to watch out for any rogue 'walkers.' The men gathered around the engine and began conversing with one another about their plans of action.

It was decided that the men who knew what parts to look for, (once again, Emma was at a loss for what to do,) would search for that, while the women scavenged for useful stuff. Laurie sauntered over to Emma, but she had less of that usual air of superiority; maybe she was growing on Emma. "Could you keep an eye on Carl for me?" Maybe not. Emma rolled her eyes, ignoring Laurie's raised eyebrows, and she nodded. "Thanks," and with her final part said, Laurie went off to join Carol in her car searching.

Sophia was trembling, that kid definitely needed food, and Emma found herself unconsciously looking for kid friendly things to eat. "Carl, get your butt over here, your mom entrusted you to me... again." Carl let out a huff of indignation before walking over to Emma.

"I don't see why she has to... I'm old enough to watch after myself," he grumbled, pushing his hair from his face. At this, Emma gave him a small smile.

"Carl, please, I need you to watch my back while I search the cars. I wouldn't trust anyone else to," she explained, trying to use a different tactic. His eyes brightened and he nodded, but then looked crestfallen.

"I don't have a weapon," he explained sadly, Sophia squeezed his hand. For a moment, Emma's eyes scanned the area, until they rested on overturned golf bag sitting on the ground. She pointed to it, and Carl picked up a driver club, eyeing it curiously. "But this isn't a knife, or a gun, how it it supposed to help me?"

"Bash them in the head, like you're using a bat, instead, you're using a golf club," now Carl looked excited as he stared at the sports equipment. "Now, watch my back, and Sophia, stay close." Sophia scurried over to Emma's side and practically clung to her. Poor kid, Emma knew that Sophia's dad was most likely to blame for her skittish actions and behaviour.

She spotted a car that had a bloodied car seat in the back; her stomach flipped, but she guessed there would be kid food back there. The door swung open, after a few minutes of searching, she found barely anything, but then something caught her eye. Emma smiled at the box of unopened graham crackers sitting under the passenger seat, perfect. After checking the expiration date, Emma realised that it didn't even matter, it was food. "Sophia, Carl, I found you guys a snack, if you'll be willing to share with me."

They nodded excitedly, and Emma opened the first little pack inside the box. The smell of honey and cinnamon wafter to them, humorously they all inhaled deeply at the same time. She gave each child two of the large crackers, Carl ate ravenously, but Sophia ate slower, relishing the taste she had almost forgotten. "Thanks Emma," squeaked Sophia brightly, plopping onto the ground in a more relaxed position.

"Yeah, thanks Emma, I don't think anyone would have wanted to search that car..." he gestured back to the car in which they had discovered their snack. Only then had she noticed how horrible it looked, covered in blood, a dark red stained teddy bear laying on the floor of it. Massacred. She only noticed the little seat that once held a terrified child. Then, of course, as they can't go a few hours without a problem, Dale announced what they all feared.

"Walkers! WALKERS!" he yelled, his voice on the verge of panic. At first Emma hadn't realised what he meant when he said 'walker' but then it dawned on her.

"How many!?" a voice questioned in return, Emma was too shocked to even wonder who was talking.

"It's a herd, maybe twenty!" replied Dale, dropping to flatten himself out on top of the RV. Carl was the first to react, he grabbed Emma and dropped to the pavement, taking the girl with him. Both landed with a thud, and Emma's arm snaked protectively around Sophia. The trio rolled under the nearest car, Emma having to suck in seeing as it was so low to the ground. Low thudding footsteps echoed through the car graveyard.

Shane was panicked, his mind skirting from Emma, to Laurie, to Carl. Their faces flashed through his mind, and if he had been more coherent at that moment, he would have realised how their similar dark features would have made them look like an actual family. Now that he knew about Emma's past, what she went through, he would be damned if she died on this damn highway. He had to make it up to her, he had to be a good father for her. It was what she deserved, he needed to ignore Laurie- okay not ignore, reason with. They could be friends again, that is all he wanted.

More so he wished this wasn't happening, he wished that they had a plan, but they didn't have a plan. They didn't have an effing clue as to what they were really doing. Going blindly from place to place, hope to dashed hope. Finally, from his spot, he caught just a glimpse of Emma being pulled to the ground by Carl. Then he couldn't see them anymore; Emma was a good kid for watching after Sophia, Carl was a good kid for watching out for Emma. The closer the footsteps of the herd got, the worse the feeling in his gut got.

They were coming, and Emma had nothing to do but wait and keep these children silent. Sophia made a squeaking noise when she saw her mother's tears, but thankfully Laurie had Carol in a grip to keep her from exposing herself. Emma felt bad for what she was about to do, but she knew it had to be done, she grabbed Sophia and covered her mouth with one hand, the other keeping on top of her machete just in case.

A bloodied and torn sneaker stepped barely a foot away from Emma's face. The limpers were there, and Emma prayed nothing went wrong.


	7. A Search

_A/N: Sorry it took so long to update, I've gone back to school and haven't had much time. Not to mention the week before school started I was in a different state without wifi (the horror) so here it is. Chapter 7. _

Chapter 7:

The only sound Emma seemed to hear at that moment was her rapidly beating heart, the only thing she felt was the shallow rise and fall of Sophia's chest. Twenty of them, twenty of the dead were limping past the car Emma was under, and she had never been more terrified than at that very moment. She realised her gaze had fallen to Carol, who Laurie had let go of; and then Emma realised that Carol was intending on running out to Sophia the moment the limpers passed.

Sophia struggled fruitlessly against Emma's chest as she attempted to get to her mother, but even though it appeared that the limpers had passed, Emma felt like something was wrong. Obviously, Carol and Laurie thought things were safe, as the short haired woman slid out from under the car and into the open road. She stumbled slightly, straightening out her shirt, before her sights were set on Sophia under the car. Her lack of vigilance, the way she was so focused on her daughter, she didn't pay attention enough. That is when hell broke loose.

Carol let out a scream barely a second after she stood, three more limpers had lagged behind the pack, and now had chosen Carol to be their next meal. The short haired woman had started in surpise, barely able to dodge the first attack of a limper, Emma didn't know if she would survive a second attack. So Carol did the smart thing, or the dumb thing depending on whose opinion you looked at. She began to run almost immediately, and Rick-the-hero Grimes ran after her, over the guard rails, and into the thick woods that dominated the right side of the road. One side of Emma's brain wondered why in the hell Carol hadn't ran back through the cars so that one of the men, or Jacqui, or maybe Andrea could have killed the limpers while they were distracted.

Emma had no idea what transpired in those tense fifteen minutes, as everyone sat stiffly in the same spot they had hidden in. Sophia, the poor child, was sobbing harshly into Emma's chest, begging for her mommy to come back. Emma bit her lip and wrapped her arms tighter around the child while still trying to maneuver out from under the car, which everyone was doing. As everyone got into the open, the realised that they couldn't help what Rick or Carol without putting themselves in danger now.

Shane tried to reel in the situation, and he gathered the group around the RV. Jacqui and T-Dog were quietly discussing something, gesturing angrily, he seemed to be injured, Shane filed that away for later. Meanwhile, Dale and Andrea were flat out arguing. "Why can't I have a gun!?" she demanded, almost petulantly, "Everyone else has a gun!" Shane fought hard to keep himself from rolling his eyes at her, but in the end, he sought out the comfort of seeing that his daughter had lived to see another day.

Emma's only comfort was that she refrained Sophia from running into the road to her own uncertain demise. Now she was uncomfortable as everyone around her argued over asinine things that didn't matter in light that Carol was missing in the woods. Sophia was still shaking, and Carl was at least attempting to help her out. Daryl stood to the side, and Emma detached herself from the little girl and walked slowly over to the gruff hunter.

They didn't need words really, one look to his dark eyes, and Emma knew what he was thinking. "We shouldn't just be standing here," Emma muttered in annoyance, and Daryl nodded in agreement. Laurie looked nervous as hell as she looked around, her hands were shaking in fact, she was just as bad as Sophia. Carl, like Emma and Daryl though, looked like he wanted to charge in the woods with a gun.

"We have to wait for Rick to get back," explained Shane, his voice tinged with annoyance as he stared at his daughter and Daryl. "Besides, if he gets himself killed, it was his own damned choice to run after Carol in the woods." Sophia let out a little cry, and Laurie shot Shane a look that said, 'Really, you comment on that now?' He sighed, running a large hand over his face. Nobody was really in the mood for his opinions at that moment.

"Why can't I have a gun!?" demanded Andrea again in the background. Emma ground her teeth together.

"Andrea!" she all but screamed, surprising not only herself, but the others as well. A few of the others had jumped and looked at her in surprise. "Apparently nobody else wants to say it, so I will. You tried to, I don't know, kill yourself yesterday! And you want Dale, who obviously cares about you, to trust you with a gun!? I get it, you're sad, it is FINE to be sad, but don't do something that will affect the rest of the group!" Emma found herself ranting and raving for a good three or four minutes, and she needed to find a place to stop where she wouldn't look like an ass, and she wouldn't look crazy. "All I want to do is help Sophia find her mother!" That was good...ish, Emma guessed.

The moment Emma finished her horrible speech rant thing, Rick jumped over the guardrail. "We need to make a search party to find Carol," he explained, giving them all a hard look. "T-Dog, Dale, you two stay with the supplies and keep Sophia safe, we're going." He was being short with the group, Shane noted with glee, hoping that people would look to him for leadership instead of Rick.

They entered the woods cautiously, hoping that Carol would be able to find her way to them on her own. Emma's nerves were frayed as she entered the woods, trudging slowly behind her father and Rick. Daryl was at the back of the group, his eyes narrowed as they methodically searched every nook and cranny for any signs of the gray haired mother. "Let's split up," Emma suggested, breaking the silence. "Carl goes with dad and Rick," Carl look mollified as he held his golf club proudly, "Jacqui, Glenn, and Laurie, go in a group, and then Andrea, Daryl, and I."

She had tried stacking the odds in favor of each group. Carl could be protected adequately by Rick and Shane, while Jacqui and Glenn had the ability to keep an eye on Laurie. Since Andrea was without a gun, she would be a look out for both Emma and Daryl. Rick slowly nodded in assent, but as he did so, the sound of church bells erupted through the woods, causing everyone to jump. "Follow that noise!" ordered Jacqui, looking up as the group began to run in the direction it came from.

Rick and Shane led the pack, and they reached a clearing that had a white church in it. If this was another time, Emma could imagine getting married there, with flowers, and a lace dress- she had to focus! The grass was tall, thankfully it would never get tall enough to completely block the view of the area- grass didn't grow over twelve inches tall. It stopped when it got that tall. Briefly she wondered why her thoughts went from weddings to grass. Mahogany doors were the only thing between them and maybe Carol.

The group approached the building carefully, Rick and Shane held their guns high, Daryl had his crossbow, and Emma her machete. Carl still looked proud that he had a weapon, and Emma allowed herself a small victory in her head towards becoming one of the group. Concrete steps led up to the church, and coating a couple of those steps was blood, feeling sick, Emma continued her walking. Rick grasped the handle.

It wasn't Carol inside the building, instead it was the decaying remains of people who came there as a last option, a place to pray and hope to be close to the God that had forsaken them. They made quick work of it, killing the few limpers in there. Then they investigated the source of the sound.

It was on a timer- they had wasted their time chasing after a timed fake bell sound. Shane let out a curse and punched the side of the church, Rick merely looked like someone had shot a puppy. "Come on, s'time to split up," drawled Daryl, who looked equally disappointed. Glenn nodded, his eyes on the woods as Jacqui and Laurie followed behind. Emma's heart fluttered pathetically at the thought of being mostly alone with Daryl, she knew she was a stupid girl. She couldn't help it though.

Andrea kept silent for a while, and the only thing Daryl or Emma commented on was when they either saw a limper or a squirrel for Daryl to shoot for dinner. Emma wouldn't apologize, but she felt bad for yelling at Andrea in front of everyone just two days after the death of Amy. When her mother had died, Emma felt nothing, not because she didn't love her mother, but she didn't even have time to mourn. In that place in her mind that she tried to keep locked up, she wondered if she would ever get time to mourn her mother.

They approached a tree with a limper hanging from a rope. Daryl looked amused, Andrea looked sick, and Emma wondered how the hell it got up there. Cautiously they approached it, and there was a note pinned to the tree, which Daryl read out loud. "Got bit, fever hit, world gone to shit, might as well quit." The country man shook his head, "Dumbass didn't know hanging himself wouldn't do the job, s'gotta be a direct blow to the head."

"Can you kill it," asked Andrea, surprising them both. Daryl looked at the blonde as if she was insane, but Emma kind of understood what she wanted. "S'waste of an arrow," said Daryl in contempt, shaking his head. Maybe she could hit the limper or the rope with a knife, it would fall and- what happened to the legs?

"What in the hell happened to its legs?" Emma whispered in repulsion, seeing only bone and not understanding it. Daryl frowned at her, but once more, he answered, "He made himself into a pinata, any walker that passed by ate hit legs." Nausea swept over Emma at the thought of hanging there and having flesh stripped from her legs without any control over the situation.

Daryl scowled at both the women, before shooting an arrow into the limper, silencing him forever. "Waste of an arrow," he muttered once more. "We can probably figure she ain't in that tent back there," now he nodded at the tent that Emma somehow hadn't noticed, damn she was off her game. "Cause if she had been, she woulda came out after hearing us talk for five minutes bout shooting a damned dead person."

Andrea nodded, and Emma guessed she agreed. She knew Carol wasn't that stupid. Before they could even take a few more steps though, a gunshot sounded in the distance. Emma's stomach tightened in discomfort, feeling like something was incredibly wrong. "We have to find the others," whispered Andrea.

Shane was panicking. He had never felt an emotion like this in his life, when Rick had been shot this feeling hadn't even been this horribly gut wrenching. Carl, sweet little golf club holding Carl had been shot. He had fallen to the ground almost immediately, and Rick began screaming. A man revealed himself, holding a gun and looking almost as bad as Shane was feeling. Rick wasn't listening, and Shane wanted to shoot this bastard for what he did to his son- friends son.

The man explained that there was a farm they could take Carl to, that they could get help there, and Rick agreed without even thinking. Shane didn't particularly care, because all he wanted was for Carl to live. Carl had to live. So the men ran, he hadn't run that fast in a long time, and he felt his lungs burning for air. It wasn't too long before they saw a farm in the distance, and Shane began to feel the weight lifting off his chest.

It wouldn't lift fully until he knew Carl would be alright.

When Emma found the others, they all looked as confused as Daryl and Andrea did. "Who shot the gun?" asked Laurie with a pained expression. "Well it wasn't one of us," whispered Andrea, who looked sour once more now that she remembered she didn't have a gun with her.

The little group began walking, and Andrea was a little bit away from the group. Emma took this opportunity to talk to Daryl. "Thanks for shooting the limper," she muttered to him. He gave her an almost imperceptible smile and nodded his head. "Still think it was a waste of an arrow," he muttered after a moment of contemplation. Emma grinned at him, hearing the slight teasing tone of his voice.

"Do you really think we'll find her?" asked Emma after a few more steps in silence. Daryl scrunched up his face in thought, pursing his lips and wrinkling his forehead. "We might, even if we don't, we can't not try," he answered after some time. Emma's grin softened into a smile at his determination, which she liked very much. He seemed to be smiling back at her, but their moment was broken by Andrea's shriek.

A limper was standing over Andrea, who had stumbled. For a moment it seemed that it would be the end of Andrea's existence. Instead, a galloping horse and a pretty woman wielding a bat saved the life of the helpless girl. "Laurie Grimes," the woman demanded almost immediately. Laurie stepped forward, looking confused.

"Your husband and son are at our farm, he's been shot, he sent me to get you, we're down the highway, get off it and take a left," she explained, looking as serious as the grave. Without even questioning it, Laurie got onto the horse with the woman. Everyone looked incredulous as they galloped off.

"How the hell does she know...?" asked Glenn with confusion written plainly on his face. Emma shrugged, and Daryl looked annoyed at how overly trusting Laurie had been immediately. Then what the woman actually said registered with her.

"Wait Carl's been shot!?" Emma stopped, looking absolutely stricken. Jacqui put a hand on her shoulder, and nodded, trying to comfort her somehow. The group decided it would be best to drive to the farm as quickly as possible, but not before the limper who attacked Andrea sat up, and moaned. Daryl dealt with it in his usual way, by shooting it while muttering an annoyed, "Shut up."

The walk that had taken over an hour to make they made in less than twenty minutes. They swung over the guardrail and Dale looked up expectantly. Glen shook his head 'no.' After lying out some food for Carol and making a sign, the group got back into their vehicles and whatnot, and decided it was time to go. Emma immediately went to Sophia to comfort her. She kept the girl in the bedroom of the RV so that someone else could explain the predicament to Dale and T-Dog.

Soon enough, the RV began moving, and Emma was thankful that Sophia had fallen asleep so quickly. She knew that crying children weren't her forte, usually she just shoved their face into her shoulder or her hair so she wouldn't have to hear their pitiful little cries. Now that the RV was in motion, Emma thought of Daryl without the man himself interrupting her thought process. He wasn't the most handsome man in the world, that was for sure, but he had sweet eyes and a rogue smile.

Nor was he in tune with his feelings, but Emma could use that for once in her life. Someone who didn't analyze every little moment of their life like she did. The big problem though, was his age, she thought him to maybe be thirty five or so, and that was a large gap. Once more though, she reminded herself that she was very mature for her age, not to mention, who the hell cares, she could die at any time. Age differences shouldn't matter. At the end of her inner monologue, she realised that he probably didn't even see her in that way, and once again, she could die at any time, making her fickle crush not even on the top one hundred list of things important to her.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Emma brushed her hair from her face. She hated feelings sometimes, it made things clouded and confusing, fuzzy where things should be clear. The RV veered to the left, and Emma knew they had reached the farm. If the gravel wasn't indication enough, the fencing surrounding fields would have given her the geographical area anyways. Soon enough they jerked to a stop, and Emma wondered if Carl was even alive.

'Don't think like that...' her brain warned her, knowing that if Carl died, she would be tempted to cry. She didn't really know him, but after being forced to watch him a couple times, and being the one to suggest he go with Rick and Shane, she would feel guilt and sadness. Carefully she stood up, not waking Sophia, and exited the RV. Standing on the porch was Shane and some fat guy she had never met. Emma felt bad for calling him fat, even in her mind.

She was far too emotional, she was far too preoccupied with the thought of Carl. She also thought she wouldn't ever give a damn about Hero-Rick's son. "Is he okay?" demanded T-Dog immediately, holding his wife close to him. Shane mutely shook his head, in a half nod, half 'no.'

"We need to get a respirator. They need to remove the bullet." Shane explained. Emma felt another sinking sensation.

"There's a school we can go to, it was an emergency hospital for some time before it got overrun. There will be one there," the man added. Shane nodded slowly.

"I'll go with you," he answered. Emma now felt sick, and she didn't understand why she couldn't stop herself from saying something she knew she would regret.

"Then I'm coming too."


	8. Just Run

Chapter 8:

_**A/N: This is going to be such a copy of the Shane flashback episode, but instead Emma is having the flashbacks. Thanks for the reviews, and thank you for sticking with me despite my random and often unreliable updates.**_

A knock on the door brought Emma from her revery, her eyes flashed from her reflection in the mirror, and landed on the handle which was jiggling ever so slightly. "Emma, you in there?" asked her father in a tight voice. Emma nodded, not wanting to say anything, she realised nodding wouldn't do shit seeing as he couldn't see through doors. So she mustered up all the sound she could from her throat; it was raw from silently screaming just a couple hours earlier. It seemed like it had been a lifetime ago. "Yes, I'll be out in a second," she confirmed.

Her fingers trembled on the lock, but she twisted it anyways, and the door flew open. Shane looked nervous, as if he had been caught doing wrong. "You can have it, I don't need it," confirmed Emma, who had washed her hair and body thoroughly. Purple bruises bloomed like flowers across her upper arms from where hands had roughly grabbed her, a simple cut on her collarbone was as red as a rose. Even her face seemed to have aged a year.

"Remember- no one can ever know," whispered Shane with a serious look on his face. Emma knew this time she could nod, so she did. His serious face softened into a smile, "Good, now go on off to bed," so Emma nodded again and went as fast as she could down the hall and turned to Beth's bedroom. Herschel had insisted that both Sophia and herself at least sleep inside in Beth's closet. He didn't think it would be right to throw young ladies outside where the dead roamed, not to mention Sophia was motherless and Emma had a tent that wouldn't protect against a puppy attack.

As Emma walked down the hall, every step brought her mind back to what had happened two hours previously, every step felt like she was back at the school, sprinting for her life through the halls. Only finding dead ends and locked exits. Jumping from such a high up window. The free fall- the split second of hope that the landing would kill her and this would all be over and she could be peaceful and unafraid. She reached Beth's room and turned the knob.

Beth was in blue pajamas and settling into bed, a gas lamp was lit and she glanced up briefly when Emma entered the room. The girl proceeded to kneel and pray. Emma decided to do the same, feeling that she needed to, to cleanse her soul.

3 Hours Earlier

Emma's body trembled in anticipation as they crouched behind a car, she wanted nothing more than to help Carl and Rick. That little boy couldn't die- he simply couldn't. Otis was explaining the mechanics and planning of how they were going to do this- Emma didn't listen. She really should have, if she had, maybe the plan would have worked, and nothing bad would have happened. The next thing she knew, the car was rolling and they used it as a distraction for the limpers. It was supposed to be easy- in and out.

It wasn't that simple. Emma had rushed ahead, only noting where the respirator was, and soon enough, she had it in her backpack. For a split second, Emma believed that everything would be alright and they could leave without any problems, any hinderance, without anything going wrong. Since she had met her father that wasn't how things went though.

The limpers spotted them, and Otis screamed, "Oh shit!" Emma could have punched him for that; he was only drawing more attention to them, and she was already overwhelmed by the sheer numbers. Shane yelled run, and so that's what they did. They ran straight into the front doors of the school. Limpers came at them faster than she could ever remember seeing them go. Maybe she underestimated them. Maybe everything she knew was a lie.

Otis brought the grate down in front of the door. It was so feeble, it couldn't possibly last. "H-how do we get out?" Emma asked, stuttering and internally cursing herself for being so scared and weak. Shane put his hand on her shoulder, breathing hard. Adrenaline was pumping through all of their veins. The sound of metal breaking brought Shane's hand to his gun, and Emma began to cautiously back up and away from the gate.

"Let's go..." Emma breathed, then the gate broke. Limpers tumbled over one another in their haste to reach the three meals. Shane had the lead, being physically in better shape, Otis lagged behind, and Emma was glad that it was her carrying the respirator.

Every few feet, every turn, they met dead ends. Emma started to panic, cold sweat broke out on her skin and she felt like puking. Then they entered the gym. They practically vaulted themselves onto the bleachers, clinging to anything that could keep them away from the cold hands of death. As Emma climbed, a lone limper, who had been ahead of the rest grabbed both her arms, and she fell back onto the floor with it on her back.

It was the end. Emma was sure of it, because she had that cheesy life flashing before her eyes moment. She saw ballet classes and failing at it, she saw her mother crying with a bottle of wine in hand, fencing, beating other kids, getting yelled at, her father's face in the newspaper, she saw high school and being pushed to the floor by Miranda's dad, the broken glass from an earlier bottle digging into and cutting her skin. Then she saw the apocalypse, the dead rising, thrown to the ground, killing a man with her machete, her happy place, sweet words of love and forever from that boy in the Gorge.

In her panic, she recalls his face and his smile, his voice, his name. Nathan; shaggy blonde hair and eyes that now she realised she only remembered because Daryl's were similar. Emma wonders if after the limpers eat her, her dad will be able to get the respirator off her back. But then, she isn't dead, and she's on the bleachers. Shane and Otis had hefted her off the ground, saving her life, and Carl's. She couldn't believe it.

They stood on top of the bleachers, and Emma clung to Shane, not realising that she had tears streaming down her face from the distress. "What do we do!?" she demanded, her voice edging on hysteria.

"We gotta get to those windows, on the other side," said Shane, his voice strained.

"It's a twen'y foot drop, nothing to catch ye 'cept for maybe some bushes... and then there's the athletic fields."

"We just need enough time, we gotta get up there, gotta get the windows open, and gotta get out."

Emma was sure they could escape now, but then Otis said something. "Not me."

Present Time

Emma jumped in surprise when Beth tapped her shoulder. The beautiful blonde was holding out a old pajamas with a soft smile on her face. "Thanks," Emma muttered, throwing off her dirty shirt and changing in the middle of the room, much to Beth's surprise. It was a soft cotton nightgown that reached her knees, so Emma then ditched her dirty jeans, glad to be free from them. Beth muttered something about putting it in the laundry as she walked away with Emma's clothes.

Sophia, so little and tired looking, walked up to Emma, who held her arms out. The little girl melted into Emma's equally as tired embrace. It was a good thing that Emma liked hugs or this would be a problem. "I've got to set up our bed," Emma murmured, and Sophia nodded, standing back dutifully. Set out were a few scrounged up sheets for them to use, since it was hot, the thick one was put on the bottom for padding.

The closet they would be residing in for the nights was so small, Emma wondered how she would fit in there with Sophia. She made do though, and made up a cozy looking little nest for the young girl to lay down in. Sophia, now snug and tight under a multitude of blankets, looked comfortable, but still her eyes were red from crying, her nose dripping. "Hey, we'll find your mommy, don't worry," Emma insisted, but Sophia shook her head sadly. It seemed the little girl had quickly given up hope.

Beth came back in, and gave her a nod of approval at the bed, before getting into her own. She must be mourning, thought Emma, for Otis. Otis- another chill of dread shuddered through her body as she shoved herself in the closet with the already sleeping little girl. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Otis again.

Two Hours Earlier

"A guy like me couldn't squeeze through one of them little windows, maybe you and your daughter..." wheezed Otis.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Cautioned Shane with a look of desperation on his face.

"What do you really think a guy like me could squeeze through a tiny window? I mean look at me! They'd be all over us!" he insisted. "I've got eight rounds, you stay up here pickin' em off, I hop down, run to the locker rooms where they've got windows more my size, I'll be distracting them. It'll give you enough time to get out and we'll meet in the parking lot.

"You-You're crazy," Emma murmured, and he looked her dead in the eye. "I'm just trying to do right for that boy."

With those words, Otis had jumped off the bleachers and Shane had started picking off the limpers with his gun. What had he meant by 'do right for that boy?' Emma hadn't heard the whole story, just that Carl was shot and now he needed help. Then she realised that it was Otis who had shot Carl. Emma was filled with blind fury.

She and Shane started running for the window. Emma hacked and chopped the four limpers that had followed them. "I'll drop first, you hold the respirator and then drop it to me," Emma explained, climbing out the window. She made herself as close to the ground as possibly by hanging from her fingertips.

Then she dropped. For a split millisecond in the air, Emma thought how this was a sweet relief, no limpers, no fathers. Only air and herself. She almost wished she could have died upon landing. Instead she focused on recalling all she had learned from many lonely hours on the internet, she rolled when she landed, as to not hurt herself. Despite the fact that her bones were jarred, she was actually unharmed, it made her pleased with herself, but then she wondered if her dad would be able to do that. Dropping the respirator and his own supplies, Shane tried to do the same, but instead of landing gracefully, his somewhat older bones didn't do what he told them to do, and his ankle was sprained or broken. Emma cussed.

They heard the gunshots, and Emma helped her father from the ground. "We've gotta go," she muttered impatiently, feeling vulnerable and exposed. Finally, they were both going, albeit slowly. Around every turn, behind every fence, there were innumerable dead. One of them had many rings on her finger, as if she died trying on jewelry. One of the rings caught Emma on the collar bone as she rushed past, causing her to bleed.

Shane and herself leaned against one of the fences, before they realised more and more dead gathered behind it, and hands gripped Emma's arms. She just wasn't having luck with limpers that night. Shane shot it, and they ran; morley hobbled, on. When they reached the open, they saw Otis. He was sweating and puffing, trying to keep up.

"We gotta go!" he shouted, about fifty limpers behind him. It was Shane's turn to cuss in panic at what lay behind them.

One hour earlier

Emma and Shane went down the Greene family farm's driveway in silence. Neither speaking, both of them knowing that they could never talk about what had happened on that fateful night. Emma's face crumpled, and she started to sob loudly, Shane put his hand on her shoulder. They had reached the farm.

The preparations for Carl's surgery were quick, and Emma was glad he hadn't died. Herschel's face was so disappointed to learn that Otis had died, but he had gotten over it surprisingly quickly. Maybe that was a trait of his, Emma filed it away for later. Apparently the others had a camp being set up out back.

She found Daryl, sullenly smoking a cigarette, she idly wondered what he would do if they stopped finding them. "Hey," she greeted tiredly. He looked at her in surprise, the hunter having had a moment where he was off guard. Daryl looked at her up and down before saying eloquently, "You look like hell." She chuckled darkly, shaking her head.

"Thanks," she bobbed her head. He looked away, before asking, "Did you get the respirator?"

"Yes," was the only word she could muster in response. "Otis died, saving us..." Emma added looking off into the distance, confident in the fact that she was a great liar.

Apparently his bullshit detector was stronger than her lies. His eyes darted back to her, as if to say, 'yeah right, like I believe that.' "He did," she said somewhat defensively, tensing and crossing her arms over her chest. Why did this man annoy her so much, and yet make her feel so nervous?

Noncommittally, he shrugged, "Never said you didn'..." he paused, "Jus' I didn't expect him to be one of them heroes, besides, he was too big to probably even get far enough away to distract em. But oh well, whatever you say." Emma paused, but didn't admit the truth, the two just stood in silence, their eyes roaming over the rolling hills.

"By the way, Sophia an' you'll be staying in the house, Herschel got upset at the idea of two 'little girls' staying outside all alone." At the indignant look on Emma's face, Daryl chuckled and shook his head. "I know you ain't a little girl, but you've gotta prove it to him, he's an old guy, he doesn't understand." Daryl shook his head once more.

"But he let me go get the respirator...?" Emma began in confusion towards this man's way of looking at things. "He was busy trying to keep Carl from dyin' of blood loss," explained Daryl, "the world don't revolve around you yah' know? He didn't have time to focus on you or yer' dad or even Otis."

"You best go inside now, use the shower and get cleaned up." Daryl added after his somewhat stinging rebuttal; once again gave her a look laced with many different emotions.

"Yeah, I'm covered in bruises," Emma muttered, her hand going up to the opposite arm. All she had wanted was to get off the conversation.

"And you've gotta cut on your collar bone..." he added, his rough fingers probing it. She let out an overexaggerated yelp of 'ouch!' Once more, he laughed and shook his head at her. "Yer' something different, you know that?" Emma weakly grinned.

"See yah in the morning, when we look for Carol," Emma waved goodbye, going onto the porch and through the door that apparently led to the kitchen. That was where she met Maggie, and the girl told her about showering.

So Emma took a shower, a long hot shower, and thought about everything that had happened. She had never been more disgusted with herself for keeping such a secret from everyone. Washing herself, her hands ran over her back, which was covered in different shaped scars, all of them once had a piece of glass sticking in them. Finally, she finished and got out, still feeling chilled and shaky.

The next thing she knew, she was laying in bed. (Caught up with present time.) Sophia squeaked in her sleep a little, curling into a tighter ball, and Emma curled herself up against the wall, her face nuzzled into the first clean pillow in months.

Shane stood in the bathroom, staring at his reflection, his eyes now having a new hardness to them, his mouth a firmer set line. He would never reveal what had happened that night.

_Panting, Otis asked, "How many rounds you got left?" Shane had answered that he didn't really know at that point, having lost track after shooting a walker who had grabbed Emma. They ran as fast as they could, Emma was ahead with the respirator. Otis got a manic glint in his eyes as they fell over Shane's leg. It was almost as if he intended on tripping Shane, or shooting him._

_Shane felt sick at the thought, but before he knew it, he was on the ground. "You bastard!" he screamed angrily, trying to get up, but Otis had his gun trained on Shane. "We gotta do this, one of us should die if the rest of us are gonna live. That includes Carl." Shane stared at Otis, alarmed at this change in heart from him, but he knew that Otis had a girl back home, he knew that Otis had his friends. Now Shane realised with horror that his gun was out of bullets. Otis didn't realise that Shane wasn't exactly alone though._

_The large man fell forwards, hitting the ground with a smack, screaming the whole way. Emma stood behind him, clutching a bloody machete, she had sliced Otis behind both knees, making it near impossible for him to run or walk. Her eyes lit with horror and anger, but she grabbed Shane by the arm, pulling him up, before the two took off in a new adrenaline fueled run. The walkers had converged on Otis, and the man screamed._

_His body was torn apart by the teeth and hands of the undead, and Shane couldn't help but feel sick that it was his own fault that his daughter was pushed to murder- well as close as actual murder got anymore. All he could think of now though, was his daughter and how she had killed someone unblinkingly to save his life. Would Laurie have done that? Would Rick? He didn't want the answer to those questions, if he was being honest with himself._

_With his daughter right behind him, he got into the car, and took off down the road, leaving Otis, and the school behind; hopefully forever._

**A/N: Dun dun dun! How did you like it? I took some direct dialogue from the show, reviews please! It's like the only thing that keeps me going on this story (she says pathetically.)**


	9. Fences and Friends

Chapter 9:

**_A/N: Thanks for the reviews, and to one of you who thankfully gave me criticism, I had to go back and edit a couple things that required changing to fit with my plot of the story. Anyways, this chapter is where a certain chain of events begins. (The chain of events is going to take 'The Madness of Family' into the direction I wanted to push them towards earlier, but I couldn't go without Glenn meeting Maggie. I'm a sucker for that pairing.)_**

The next morning Emma woke up at the crack of dawn. It was stifling hot in the closet with someone else sharing it with her. So she slipped out of bed, past Beth's bed, which had two bodies in it, obviously her boyfriend had been invited in. Rolling her eyes, and filing away that information, Emma went down the hall, inspecting the pictures as she did so. The girl, Beth, and Maggie were in the pictures a lot. Herschel was rarely present, obviously he was the one taking the pictures; there was some guy, and a kind looking older woman.

The teen guessed that they had either been bitten or killed. She felt a pang of sympathy for the Greene family, or maybe that was just a pang of hunger. Licking her lips, she hopped down the stairs, trying to be as quiet as she could on such old and creaky wood. The sound of water running alerted her of another presence, she smiled, glad to know she wasn't the only early riser. As Emma entered the kitchen, she smelled eggs, and the sweet fragrance of bacon. Maggie was the one cooking so early in the morning.

"Good morning," the woman said, not even looking behind her. Emma was floored, wondering how she could tell she had entered the kitchen. "You stepped on the floorboard to the left, it creaks. I've lived here long enough to know that," Maggie explained, turning around and flashing a smile at Emma. Wordlessly, Emma nodded, looking at Maggie in wonder.

Emma hadn't cared for her house very much, the small one story white siding covered house was barely a home. Her mom had been obsessed with keeping it clean, and she wasn't even allowed to walk around without socks. So the idea that a girl knew and loved her house enough to know each creaky floorboard was amazing. "Would yah like some eggs and bacon? I had to make the bacon today, it's gonna spoil soon."

"Sure," Emma answered, regaining her voice. She sat down in one of the chairs, and soon after, two plates were sat down on the table, and Maggie joined her. For a few moments, it was silent, but Maggie obviously wanted to say something. "Go ahead," murmured Emma awkwardly, feeling the tension in the room.

"Are you and that asian guy Glenn a couple?" asked Maggie hurriedly. So surprised that that was what she had wanted to ask, Emma burst out into laughter. Maggie blushed slightly, but she looked amused now too.

"Hell no, I mean, he's nice and stuff, but I'm not attracted to him- why? Oh, do you like him?" Emma's grin widened, and she almost felt like she was talking with one of her old friends about boys. Maggie raised her eyebrows, a small smile on her face now.

"No, it's just, do you know how hard it is to get laid in the apocalypse?" Maggie questioned, seeming to forget that Emma was fifteen. Emma shook her head, still laughing, her fist over her mouth as to not wake up the rest of the house.

"Well, I can assure you, Glenn has nothing going on with anyone," Emma said, taking another bite of her egg. Maggie nodded slowly.

"Well, that scruffy looking guy, Darly? He was really worried about you, if I hadn't known Shane was your dad, I would have assumed Daryl was related to you." Maggie said nonchalantly, still smirking. Emma's eyes now snapped up to Maggie's, her whole face and neck flushing a dark maroon. "Really?" asked Emma, in a quiet voice.

"Oh you like him!" whispered Maggie, shock and scandal lacing her voice. They didn't need to whisper, because nobody else was awake, but it felt good to feel like they were going to be overheard, like schoolgirls. "He's like your dad's age!" then she paused, rethinking her earlier statement. "Well, I mean, if you can get him, go ahead. Like I said, the choices for a man are very slim."

Then, until seven when everyone else began to wake up, Emma and Maggie gossiped, talked, and shared info on everyone from their own groups. She learned about the whole relationship between Beth and her boyfriend, Herschel's dislike of said boyfriend, Maggie's ex, and Patricia and Otis's relationship. The latter conversation made Emma squirm and feel sick to her now full stomach.

So, Emma proceeded to tell Maggie about the Rick, Shane, Lori drama. It was a long winded tale that Emma had gathered over the past two weeks of eavesdropping and listening to clandestine conversations. Saying it out loud made it sound rather ridiculous, but it also made it make more sense to the young woman who seemed to find it impossible to find fault with her father.

He was the bad guy, her father slept with his best friend's wife. Once more, sickness filled her stomach and nausea wracked her brain. The sound of someone clearing their throat alerted Maggie and Emma of another person entering the room. Herschel looked exhausted, with bags under his eyes, and his lips were tightened. "The boy survived the night," he murmured, taking a plate of food for himself.

"Thank you so much Mr. Greene," Emma gushed, smiling at the elderly man. He spared a glance towards her, his face now unreadable. "Are you his sister?" he questioned, looking at her. Emma wondered vaguely if Lori and her dad had ever hooked up before, because if so, Carl could very well be her half brother. With the dark hair, dark eyes, and face full of freckles, but then again, it probably wasn't true.

"No, I watch him when his mom is off doing stuff," she explained, hoping he understood why she was so fond of him. He nodded, "So you're his babysitter?"

Emma sighed internally, "More or less, yes, I am his babysitter." She felt ridiculous saying it out loud. "I think I might go to town today to get supplies..." began Emma awkwardly, before Maggie gave her a look that seemed to say 'Don't you dare.' Herschel looked at her, studying her for a few moments, before answering.

"You're about fifteen, why try to thrust responsibilities onto your own shoulders when everything is already so hard?" his answer turned out to be more of a question in itself. Internally, Emma was floundering, wondering what would be an appropriate answer. So she did what she did best, she lied.

"Doing stuff keeps my mind occupied, it keeps me from thinking about everything that is happening, and it makes me feel like I'm useful," Emma explained, that not being the answer at all. Really, she only did stuff because she felt a need to prove herself, and because if the rest of the group went up and died on her, she wouldn't be vulnerable from lack of doing stuff. That was too morbid of an answer to give to the man who was offering her and her friends food and shelter.

"Besides, the town is dangerous, I wouldn't want you getting hurt when you're all that the little girl has." Emma's insides tightened, so even Herschel thought Carol was dead. The innate need to disobey him hit her with the force of a hundred pounds, all she wanted to do now, was see if the town was dangerous.

"I think that I'll just help with the search for Carol then," she murmured, standing up and striding out the back door. The people of the camp were all awake, and were smiling at Emma as she walked towards them. Jacqui was inspecting T-dog's wound, Dale was sitting on his RV, like always, and Andrea was taking apart a gun before putting it back together. Glenn was looking through his supply pack, most likely taking inventory.

"Glenn, the girl Maggie is making a supply run to town- since from what I've heard, you being the best scavenger slash supply getter we've got, you should probably go with her and learn the layout of the town," Glenn nodded slowly, getting up and heading to the house. He passed Rick on the way. The sheriff looked stressed out, tired, and a bit crazed.

So the planning began, and everyone set off in different directions in the morning sun. Emma, thankfully (and much to the chagrin of Beth's boyfriend) was going alone on her search. Although she wouldn't have minded more time with Daryl, or maybe getting to know Andrea or rick.

The morning air was warm and steamy on Emma's face, leaving her covered in a film of sweat. Her hair stuck to her neck in an uncomfortable fashion, and she couldn't help but resent her thick curls at that moment. Maybe she would cut her hair later. She hadn't even talked to her father that morning, but she didn't really see a need for it. There was nothing to discuss... nothing at all.

In her area, there was no sign of Carol whatsoever. No footprints, no tracks, no pieces of clothing, and surprisingly no blood. Although she knew that she should go back to the farm, she felt the need to explore some, so that if needed, she knew ways to get off of the farm- in case anything bad happened.

Further into the Greene land Emma went, until she finally saw the fence signalling the end of the property. Still feeling rather full of energy (well rested, and a good breakfast does that to one) she decided to keep going a bit. The fence was easy to hop, and Emma was glad that limpers weren't agile, or they would be royally screwed. When she reached the other side of the fence, and she was in a grassy field, her nose detected the scent of campfire.

A small frown on her lips, Emma walked uphill, trying to find the source of the smell. In her mind, she wondered what Daryl was doing, seeing as he wasn't confined to the Greene family property for his search, unlike her. But she was still glad that she got to do anything at all, and it wasn't like she was following the rules anyways. Over the crest of the hill, Emma saw that just another mile off in the distance, was a small camp set up.

People- hopefully, milled about the two tents. There were three of them, and so Emma decided to get closer and watch them carefully. With her machete bouncing on her leg, she trekked towards the camp. The closer she got, the more she noticed, and her heart pounded wildly in her chest, this felt important to her for some reason. She had swung around so she would be approaching from behind the tents, and so she snuck up on them.

The relatively tall grass, combined with the slight mist that now was collecting in the air kept her mostly under cover. With a shudder, Emma realised it could be keeping more gruesome and dangerous things under cover. Finally though, she was close enough to the camp, and she saw the first two people. They both had dark colored skin, one with her hair in two braids, and one with a dreadlock covered head, they were silent as they sat back to back, guns in their hands. They were on watch, but Emma guessed they either hadn't seen her approaching. If they had, they might have killed her, or set up an ambush or something.

"I don't suppose you thought you could sneak up on us," whispered a voice in Emma's ear, an arm flying around her neck in a choke hold. Her machete dropped to the ground in surprise and immediately it felt difficult to breathe. Since her face was turned away from the man, she couldn't tell if he was friendly or not, nor could she tell what he looked like. All she knew from what his arm looked like was that he was white.

Both of the others stood and approached her, they held hands, so Emma guessed that they were husband and wife, or a couple. "Nate, just let her go, she's just a little girl," started the woman, picking the machete from the ground. There were those dreaded words again, 'little girl' Emma silently fumed at her own foolish capture. "Just keep your gun trained on her," he answered from behind Emma's head.

The pressure was lifted from her throat, and Emma fell like a stone to the dew covered ground. Despite the fact that the sun was now climbing higher in the sky, the clouds made it seem like it was still dawn. Her hair hung in her face, and her breathing felt labored, but she looked up at the man who had had her in a choke hold. His blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and he had an impassive look on his face. That was until his eyes connected with Emma's. "Nathan!" she cried, jumping from the ground, and throwing her arms around him. Initially he was tense with surprise, but he seemed to realise who she was, and he hugged her in return.

He pulled her away from him after a moment, both hands gingerly holding her face. "It's you- Emma, shit, I can't believe, I mean, I didn't think I would ever see you again." Nathan's face went into the crook of Emma's neck, and she could tell he was getting somewhat emotional. Her whole body tensed at the sudden thought she had, "W-what happened to the gorge..?" she whispered, images of limpers devouring her friends coming to mind.

"I left," he replied, somewhat muffled. "My sister, Renee, went on a supply run a couple towns over- it was a gun shop, but she never came back. So I went there, and I found one of our guys trapped under a supply cabinet... she was taken by a group of bandits, and he told me they began heading south. He died, and I stupidly made the decision to follow after them to find Renee." Nathan pulled away, and Emma swore he had aged maybe five years since she saw him those two months ago.

"I've been tracking them, and they're in the town nearby, staying in the bar, I didn't want to be too close- it was about twenty miles back that I met these guys. This is Richard, and Jennifer," Nathan introduced the man and woman, who Emma nodded at graciously. All she could think though, was of how insane it was that she was here with Nathan, and how happy she was to be back with him.

"You could stay with my group," whispered Emma excitedly, not getting why she was whispering. "Follow me," she began, grabbing his hand. He pulled back somewhat awkwardly.

His brow was furrowed, and he wasn't looking at her. "Emma- I really care about you, and, I really like you, but this is my sister. My older sister, the one that held me during my nightmares as a kid, the one that cooked me dinner when mom wasn't home, and the one that protected me from bullies. I love Renee more than anyone in the world, and although I'd like to join you, where we are cuts off the road they'd have to follow, just a half mile away. We're planning on ambushing them tomorrow- because they always leave after two days, and I'm going to get Renee back."

In understanding, Emma nodded, but she couldn't help but feel a little hurt about how he couldn't even look at her. "What if I got my group to help?" she questioned, looking up at him hopefully. "What if I got my group to help the ambush, and we help you get your sister back?" His face lit up in surprise and excitement.

"You'd do that for me?" he asked, touched. Emma smiled, putting her hand on his cheek. "Yes, because once upon a time I was alone and scared, the only person who talked to me was an awkward young man by the name of Nathan, and he helped me meet new people and make new friends."

"It's a good thing you've got help Nate, because I knew we couldn't handle a group of bandits on our own," said Richard, nodding in approval, most likely voicing the thoughts he'd had since they met twenty miles back.

"I'm going to go tell some of my friends, they can help," began Emma, her machete handed to her by Jennifer, she turned from the group. "I'll be back with help!" she called out, taking off as fast as her legs could take her (which admittedly wasn't as fast as she'd like.) Soon enough, she had hopped the fence. For a moment, Emma stopped and leaned against a small sapling, which must have already had dead roots, because the sapling broke from the ground, and hit the low branches of the tree next to it. Caught in the low branches had been a large tree limb which must have fallen from higher up, so when the sapling hit it, it knocked the limb loose.

It crashed down to the earth, smashing a small section of fence with it, but Emma had already been running by the time it had happened. She hadn't seen the limb hit the fence, and all she wanted to do was go talk to Daryl and her dad at the time. She hadn't known what chain of events she had caused, nor did she know what the reaction would be.

**_A/N: (I'm sorry for the extra author's note at the end.) That was a bit shorter than I'd like, but I went back and edited chapter 1 a bit (and I'm saying minisculely,) and I edited the chapter before this one, because looking back, I disliked the way I portrayed Darly and Emma's conversation. So this is where is begins to completely veer off course from the show, next chapter is when all hell breaks loose._**


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